Reverse Side of Darkness
by Koorino Megumi
Summary: Four years later, Sora must travel to "the other side of the mirror" to find the door to the light. But at the same time, the door to the darkness has been reopened, and the Heartless have returned...
1. The Journey Begins

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 1: The Journey Begins**

Not heeding his friends' cries of warning, Sora picked up Riku's Keyblade and held it level with his heart. He hesitated for an instant to give Donald and Goofy a reassuring smile, letting them know that he was sure about this and knew exactly what he was doing. Then he turned back to his task. Without another thought, Sora thrust the Keyblade into his chest. He felt it disappear from his grasp, releasing the six princess' hearts that had created it.

Then the thrust of the Keyblade took effect. In a daze, Sora could do nothing but fall backwards as his own heart was pulled from his chest. The world dissolved around him. He was not aware of Kairi's awakening just in time to see him falling, of her crying his name and running to him, or even his dissolving into sparkles of light in her arms. He did not hear his other friends' cries or see Donald come running. Sora saw nothing but darkness.

He was falling through the darkness. It was thick and pressing against him, as if it were a living entity. _I saved Kairi,_ he tried to tell himself, but it was hard to think. The darkness was crushing him--smothering him. _Donald, Goofy, I'm sorry. But I had to save Kairi. That was the only thing that mattered..._

Now he was stumbling in the darkness. _When did I stop falling? What did I land on?_ These questions only dimly registered in his mind, forgotten in an instant. The darkness was pressing so tightly against him...Why didn't he simply give way to it? _I can't leave my friends._ But even as the thought came to him he did not know what it meant. _Kairi._ A word that kept repeating in his mind but held no meaning... Why was he resisting like this? Why was he trying to hold back the darkness? Who was he--what was he to try to stop it? And why?

So Sora stopped struggling and allowed the darkness to engulf him.

Kairi awoke gasping for air, her body bathed in a cold sweat and the sheets in tangles about her. She thrashed for a moment before she became aware of where she was. "Four years ago," she breathed, trying to calm herself, "It was four years ago, and that's not what happened. He never gave in. I saved him first. I saved him." Suddenly tears were pouring down her cheeks. "Four years...Sora, where are you? And why do I keep having the same dream? Three times now. Of you becoming a Heartless and me not saving you..." She buried her face in her pillow. "What happened to you, Sora? Why haven't you come back? Have you saved Riku? Or did you forget about us?" New tears came pouring down. "What if that's why I'm having the dream? Because something's going to happen to you and I won't be there to help? Or what if something has already happened? Sora..."

Without even untangling herself from her sheets, Kairi proceeded to cry herself back to sleep. "You promised, Sora. You have to come back to me. Someday..."

* * *

Sora sighed in frustration, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep--again. Donald, Daisy, and even Goofy had noticed the dark circles under his eyes that day. He had tried to make it sound like he'd simply stayed up too late recently, but he knew that they hadn't really believed him. They were starting to get worried about him. He knew that if they knew the details about his alternation between strange dreams and insomnia, they would be much more worried than they were. That was why he never said a word. But if something didn't change, he would have to soon.

"Maybe I'll go back there again," he mused to himself, "I know Donald and Goofy told me to just wait, but with these dreams... I wonder if I'll find anything different?"

Four years ago Sora had come to this world with Donald and Goofy, planning to find the door to the light and save Riku and King Mickey. The three had chased after Pluto with a note from the king in his mouth, hopeful that this adventure would be short-lived. Sora sighed again. Pluto had led them to a strange cave with nothing but a pond inside. It certainly didn't have anything even remotely resembling a door to anywhere. And the note had been even less helpful. Sora reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled it out, reading it to himself for the thousandth time.

_Hi, all!_

_Don't worry about Riku and me. We'll do our best to keep the darkness in Kingdom Hearts while you're searching for the door to the light. _

_Donald and Goofy, stay with Sora as long as you can, but if you get separated, don't worry. I think he has to find the door on his own. You have your own jobs to do, too. Make sure the kingdom stays safe for me, okay? _

_Sora, I know you'll find the door eventually. But right now it's too early. Your journey will start in this place when the time is right. And you'll know when the time comes. _

_Tell Minnie not to worry about me, _

_Mickey_

Sora tucked the note safely back into the drawer. Donald and Goofy wouldn't approve of his keeping it with him and reading it over and over again. King Mickey had told them to wait, so that was what they were going to do. But Sora couldn't stand just waiting. He had been back to that cave a thousand times, scared to death that the time for his journey may have already come and he had missed it. "Donald and Goofy won't let me go back again. They'll say, 'Just be patient, Sora. Trust King Mickey, Sora. You'll know when it's time to go back, Sora'. Well, what if my wanting to go back means that it IS time to go back? And what about those dreams... What could they mean?" Sora shuddered at the memory. The dream was always the same. He was stabbing himself with Riku's Keyblade in order to release Kairi's heart. Except this time, Kairi didn't save him from the darkness. He gave into it.

Reaching back into the drawer, Sora pulled another object out of it--Kairi's lucky charm. He hugged it to his chest. "That can't happen. Not as long as Kairi and I are connected. And we'll be connected forever. She's always here with me. Even when I can't see her..." Tears filled his eyes, but Sora refused to cry. His heart ached to be with Kairi again, but he couldn't go back to Destiny Islands. All the worlds were separated now. And even if there were a way for him to go back, he couldn't just abandon his mission. He couldn't leave King Mickey and his friend Riku trapped with the Heartless forever. "I will be the one who opens the door to the light. I will be the one who opens the door to the light..." Sora chanted the phrase to himself, but it gave him little comfort. "I'll go there again tomorrow. I'll get up before anybody else and sneak away. Donald and Goofy will be mad at me, but...but I have to do this. Maybe something will be different. Maybe my journey will finally begin."

With that, Sora gently placed the charm back in the drawer and shut it. He rolled over and finally began a fitful sleep. For the first time in more than a week, he had a dream other than the one of himself becoming a Heartless.

* * *

"Do you know where you are?" the hooded figure asked.

Sora looked around at the tall buildings and neon signs. The sky was dark as if a storm were brewing, but the city looked as bright and full of life as ever. "Is this...Traverse Town?"

The figure shook his head. "You're thinking in terms of your side of the mirror. This is Crossroads City."

Sora frowned. "My side of the mirror?"

"Just because something is familiar does not make it the same. In fact, most things are opposites on this side of the mirror, although some are parallels. Don't mistake one for the other. This is the parallel of Traverse Town. I am a parallel as well."

"Who are you?"

"Your heart is strong, Sora. Make sure that it survives. No matter what happens to you, your heart must survive. Understand? Remember, Sora. You are the one who will open the door to the light."

Sora gasped. "Your voice!"

The figure nodded. "It has been me from the beginning. I can only give you this last piece of advice before your journey. Your heart must survive. No matter what happens to you." The figure spun on his heel and began to walk away, his dark cloak flowing behind him.

"Wait!" Sora cried, "Who are you?"

The figure stopped, but didn't turn. "A friend. I don't know when we will meet again, or if, but know that I will help you as much as I can. Farewell." He continued down the road. Despite the bright light of streetlamps and signs, he faded into the darkness within seconds. Sora wanted to run after him, but his feet would not respond. Thunder cracked overhead, and he heard that familiar voice one more time. "The storm is beginning. Don't be afraid. Your heart is the strongest weapon of all. Your journey begins at dawn. Are you ready?"

* * *

Sora awoke to find the sky as dark as pitch. He didn't even bother glancing at the clock. He knew he wouldn't get back to sleep, and after that dream, he definitely wanted to get to the cave. His mind was trying to convince him that it was nothing more than a dream, but at the same time, something in his heart told him otherwise. _Either way, I have to go back there. I have to know..._

He briefly considered waking Donald and Goofy. If he told them about the dream, they would have to let him go, and maybe they would even agree to come with him. However, something about the thought of bringing them into this felt wrong. The mysterious hooded figure in his dream had not even mentioned them, and even King Mickey had said that they would be separated from him.

So Sora tumbled out of his bed and quickly straightened it up. He wanted it to be obvious to Donald and Goofy that he had set out on a journey; hopefully then they wouldn't worry about him or think he was attacked. He discarded the more formal clothing that he had been wearing since arriving at the castle, and put on a shirt and shorts somewhat similar in color and style to that which he had worn during his first adventure. He needed to have plenty of mobility in case he had to battle Heartless along the way.

Sora walked over to his desk and scrawled out a note for Donald and Goofy, just as a last precaution to keep them from worrying about him and, more importantly, trying to follow him.

_Donald and Goofy,_

_King Mickey said that I would know when the time came for me to start my journey. He was right. I had a dream last night. I'm not really sure what it means, but I know that I need to leave now and go alone. Sorry. Thanks for being such great friends. I'll be sure to tell King Mickey how awesome you guys are when I find him! _

_Sora_

He walked over to his bed and placed the note in the middle of it. Opening the drawer in the nightstand beside the bed, he pulled out the note from King Mickey and Kairi's lucky charm. The note he placed beside his note on the bed. The lucky charm he stowed carefully away in his pocket, where he could easily reach in and touch it. Then he took out the last remaining item from the drawer: a small key. Taking it over to his dresser, he opened the bottom drawer and pulled the clothing out of it. Underneath was a long, thin box. Removing this from the drawer, he unlocked it and pushed back the lid. Despite the darkness of the room, the Keyblade still seemed to shine, as if catching all the light that existed in the room and allowing it to play off its surface. Sora turned it over in his hands a few times, then set it down and replaced the box and the clothing in the drawer, shutting it. He picked the Keyblade back up and stood, giving it a few practice swings. It wasn't as though he hadn't used it during the four years he had been here. Sora had been very careful to keep training both in using the Keyblade and in using magic. After all, he hadn't known when his journey would begin. Now that it was about to begin, he was glad to be so prepared. Hopefully he was prepared enough.

He allowed the Keyblade to disappear as it always did when it wasn't needed. He gave the room one last glance before sneaking out and shutting the door behind him.

The halls were entirely deserted. The windows revealed that it was still pitch black outside. Sora decided that it would be best to eat before embarking on his journey, so he snuck to a back servants' staircase that he assumed led straight to the kitchens. After all, he always saw the cook and other kitchen workers using it.

A few creaky floorboards made enough noise for him to stop dead, his heart pounding, but he didn't hear so much as a peep from anywhere else in the castle. Everyone was fast asleep. Reaching the kitchens, he managed to find some bread, jam, meat, and cheese without too much difficulty. He ate his small breakfast quickly--there was no telling when the noise he was making might disturb someone--and then ducked out the kitchen's back door, snatching an unlit torch from its bracket on the wall.

From there ensued a stumbling journey through the dark. There was no moon, and Sora didn't want to light his torch until he was out of sight of the castle. By the time he did finally cast Fire to light the torch, he realized that he had been traveling toward the west of where he had intended to go. It wasn't a long detour, and by now Sora knew the way to the cave like the back of his hand. However, it was a bit chilly out, and Sora began to wish that he had packed some provisions for the journey. Bringing a blanket or a supply of food had never occurred to him. He hadn't had an opportunity to prepare himself before his last journey, so it hadn't seemed like he should do so this time. His mind told him to go back to the castle, but he didn't. He didn't think he could at this point. It had to be close to dawn by now; his journey was about to begin.

Sora entered the cave just as the first rays of sunlight began to peek over the horizon. He stopped short in the doorway. Had something glittered along the back wall of the cave?

Sora approached the wall cautiously. Whatever it was continued to catch the light as he drew near it. It was something embedded near the bottom of the wall, about the size of a coin. Sora knelt beside the wall and looked down at the object.

A small gem was embedded in the wall. Somehow it threw off a white light when the sun shone on it, but glowed the same dull black as the rest of the wall otherwise. _Is this what Mickey meant about the time? I would never have seen this rock if it wasn't dawn with the sun shining right on it. If I had come here at dawn four years ago, I could have started my journey then!_

But Sora pushed those thoughts away. He hadn't had the dream then; he had had the dream now. Obviously there was some other reason he had needed to wait for four years. Even if there weren't, dwelling on it now wouldn't help him. He had found a strange gem; now he just needed to figure out how it could lead him to the door to the light.

Nervously, Sora summoned the Keyblade. The moment it appeared in his hand a white light shot out from it, striking the gem. He heard a splash in the pond behind him.

"What?" Sora tore his gaze away from the gem to look into the pond. Small ripples were filling it, but not in the circular pattern in which ripples are meant to travel. The ripples were creating shapes.

Slowly the clear water began to change colors, and the ripples simultaneously formed distinct images. Sora gasped. "My island!" It was a mirror image, as if his island rose up behind him and the pond was reflecting its image. Sora reached out and touched the water. He cried out in shock as he felt something in it grab him. Before he knew what was happening, a strange force had his hand tightly in its grasp and was pulling him into the water. He tried to hold himself back, but the force was too strong. Within seconds, Sora tumbled face-first into the pond. He didn't come back up. The image of the island abruptly disappeared, leaving the pond looking just like any other pond. When Donald and Goofy came looking for Sora hours later, there wasn't any sign that he had even been in the cave.


	2. The Other Side of the Mirror

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 2: The Other Side of the Mirror**

Sora pulled his head up, gasping for air. He had been under the water for a long time--so long that he had almost passed out. For a moment it had seemed as if there were no surface. He had thrashed in all directions without seeing so much as a speck of the morning sunlight in the cave. Without warning, however, he had unexpectedly broken the surface just in time to avoid drowning.

Sora waded for a moment, arms latched tightly to the ground beside the pond, coughing and sputtering. When his airway felt close to clear again, he pulled himself up out of the water. Even though he should rightfully have been soaking wet, neither his clothes nor his hair was even dripping. However, he didn't even notice this oddity. He was too distracted by the sight within the cave.

Before falling into the pond, he had been in a cave formed entirely out of glassy, dark rock. The only bright spot in it had been the strange rock that had glinted white in the sunlight. Now the cave was formed entirely of rough-hewn white rock. Both the color and the texture were entirely different. It was as if he had gone into the pond in one cave and come out of it in another. _But how could that have happened?_

Eager to either confirm or disprove his fears, Sora stood and turned toward the cave's entrance. Outside the sky was streaked with the pinks and reds of dawn, giving the landscape a fiery tint. Sora gasped as he gazed out at the sandy beach and the ocean. The cave in which he stood appeared to be embedded in the side of Riku's island. Certainly that had never been there before, but everything else on the island was exactly as he remembered it. Except something seemed wrong... The island was flipped.

Sora ignored the thought, putting it off as disorientation from having nearly drowned. Excitement rose within him, and he started running before consciously deciding to do so. This was HIS island. And on his island was the one thing that he had been longing for most in the world.

"Kairi," he breathed, running out onto the beach. _Where is she? I have to find her. I have to see her again!_

He stopped short. A figure stood on the beach, staring out into the ocean. It was a young man who appeared to be exactly Sora's age, with blond hair as flat as Sora's was spiky and clothing uncannily similar to his, except blue instead of red. Hearing Sora's footsteps, the young man looked up. For a moment he seemed startled, but he quickly broke out in a large grin. "Is that the Keyblade?" he asked, pointing.

Sora looked down at his hand, surprised to see that he was indeed carrying the Keyblade. He didn't remember summoning it. "Yeah, but...how did you know what it was?"

The young man stepped up to Sora and reached out to touch the Keyblade. Sora moved it deftly away. The young man laughed. "Don't be so nervous. You know who I am, don't you?"

Sora shook his head, taking a step back and holding the Keyblade to his side protectively.

"Don't you know where you are?" the young man pressed, seemingly confused at Sora's lack of understanding.

"Destiny Islands," Sora blurted out before thinking about whether or not he should answer the stranger's questions.

The young man laughed. "Is that what they're called on your side? These are the Fate Isles. Strange how the parallel even shows in the name, isn't it?"

_My side? Parallel? That sounds so much like what the hooded figure in my dream was talking about. This couldn't be him, could it? Shouldn't I recognize the voice?_

"You still look confused." The young man leaned toward Sora's face, his deep brown eyes studying him. Sora stared back defiantly, trying to look intelligent but indignant because he wasn't being given clear explanations. The stranger sighed and took a step back. "Well, I suppose if you know nothing then you won't understand anything. You're lucky that you ended up here, of all places. The three of us are just about the only people on this side of the mirror who have read Ansem's Report."

Sora stiffened. The stranger smiled. "I see you've heard of it. Maybe there's one on your side, too? Well, it couldn't be the same one. Ansem's Report tells about the two sides of the mirror and the journey of a young boy named Sora to seal away the darkness with his Keyblade. That young boy is you, and, in a way, me as well. It wasn't hard to figure out that you and I are really the same, just from different sides of the mirror. My name is Aros."

"Aros?" Sora repeated, in shock. What was going on here? How could there be a second Ansem Report that told of his first adventure? Had Ansem somehow survived? If so, everyone was in great danger. "Aros, do you know who Ansem is?" Sora demanded.

Aros frowned. "Of course I do." He stopped for a second, then grinned. "Ah, but you're still thinking in terms of your side of the mirror, aren't you? This Ansem is not the seeker of darkness. As far as I know, you really did defeat that Ansem."

"But then who-"

Aros held up a hand to cut him off. "Are you ready for me to explain the two sides of the mirror to you yet? You won't understand anything else I say unless you know where you are first."

Sora held his tongue and nodded. Explanation first, questions after.

"All right. Basically, there are two sides of the universe. We call them the two sides of the mirror. In the center of the universe is Kingdom Hearts, which can be entered from either side. On one side is the door to the darkness, on the other the door to the light. That's where the idea of a mirror comes from. No matter what, there is and can only be one Kingdom Hearts. Everything else, however, can exist on one side of the mirror or both. Parallels are things that exist in highly similar forms on both sides. Apparently, Fate Isles is a parallel to this 'Destiny Islands' of yours. Opposites are exactly what they sound like: two things that exist on both sides in entirely different forms. Like the door to the darkness on one side and the door to the light on the other. And as I said before, we are parallels."

Sora simply stared for a second, trying to absorb all the information. "So I've crossed to the other side of the mirror?" he finally asked.

"Exactly. You've come from the dark side of the mirror to the light side. You're trying to get to the door to the light, aren't you?"

"You know where it is?" Sora exclaimed, confusion giving way to excitement.

Aros sighed. "You haven't listened to a word I've said, have you? This is the other side of the mirror. The door to the light is in the same place on this side that the door to the darkness is in on your side."

"But that would mean that we'd have to connect all the worlds and uncover the final keyhole to get to it!"

"That's why you've come here now, after the door to the darkness has been unsealed again. You've opened the way for the Heartless to reach this side of the mirror and connect all the worlds."

"_What_!?" Sora cried. His mind began racing with thoughts of the Heartless roaming the worlds again. "But King Mickey and I sealed the door to the darkness! The Heartless can't be free! I'm not there to protect her..."

"Protect her?" Aros questioned, smiling amusedly.

Sora blushed, forgetting himself for a moment. "All my friends." The seriousness of the situation, however, quickly took hold of his mind again. "And the Heartless... I opened the way for them come _here_?" Sora made an involuntary glance at the cave from which he had arrived.

"Sora, they have to come here in order to connect all the worlds. That will allow you to reach the door to the light! You can't worry about the people on your side of the mirror right now. No matter what happens to them, your first task is to find the door to the light."

"No!" Sora cried. The thought of abandoning Kairi made him boil up with anger inside. _That's it! I'm through listening to him. I have to act now!_ Without another word, Sora turned and began walking purposefully toward the cave, Keyblade at the ready.

"Stop!" Aros ran up behind Sora, grabbing a hold of the Keyblade.

"Hey!" Sora stopped short, yanking the Keyblade from Aros's grasp and spinning around to face him, his Keyblade raised.

Aros held up his hands defensively. "Calm down. I'm just trying to help you. I was stopping you, not stealing the Keyblade. You have to listen to me. You don't really expect the Heartless to come parading out of that cave, do you?"

Sora lowered the Keyblade, but he continued to eye Aros warily. "You said that I opened the way for them to come to this side of the mirror."

"You misunderstand me. You did open 'the way.' You connected the two sides of the mirror, just like the Heartless can connect all the worlds. But that one cave is not the only place that they can enter this side of the mirror from. There is a pond that crosses the mirror on _every_ world. You can't just expect to find them here and stop them before they go to other places!"

Sora blinked, staring. "So, even when the worlds are not connected you can go to ANY world through those caves?" Excitement rose within him.

Aros nodded, pleased that he had regained Sora's attention. "Supposedly, yes." Knowing the true intent behind Sora's question, however, he added, "But no one knows what determines the world that the pond takes you to. You could go through it a million times and only wind up traveling between three or four worlds. The only certainty is that you cross the mirror every time. So right now the very last place you want to go is that cave. If you cross the mirror, rather than finding yourself on your island, you could find yourself walking right into the hands of the Heartless on some other world."

Sora made no reply for a moment, a little annoyed at how easily Aros was reading his intentions, but also considering Aros's words. _I don't really know for sure that I can trust him yet, do I? But this IS a mirror image of my island, so the whole two sides of the mirror bit makes sense. And if he is really my parallel, he'd be trying to help me._ "So, what do YOU suggest that I do?" Sora asked, wording his question carefully.

"For now, we wait until this world is connected. Then we can make our way to the door to the light."

* * *

"Iraki! Come out here, quick!"

"Kiru, what is it?" Iraki questioned, stepping out of the tree house.

Kiru put a finger to his lips. "Shh. Look down there."

Iraki peered over the railing at the two figures standing on the beach. The blond was obviously Aros, but the other... She gasped. "Is that him? Sora?"

Kiru nodded gravely. "It looks like I was right. It did begin this morning."

"But where did he come from?" Iraki asked, squinting to get a better view of this newcomer.

"See that cave in the side of my island?"

"There's no cave in the side of your island," Iraki replied, her attention still focused on Sora.

"There is now. Sora opened the way between the two sides of the mirror."

"What?" Iraki pulled her gaze from Sora and moved it to Kiru's island. He was right. She could see the opening to a small, white cave. "But that means..."

"I talked to Ansem yesterday. He told me what we should do. I would have told you yesterday, but Aros was always around."

"So what are we supposed to do?"

"I have to cross the mirror and bring HER the Keyblade."

Iraki nodded as if she had been expecting him to say that. Her Keyblade materialized in her hand, and she offered it to Kiru.

He smiled sadly. "You trust me that much, don't you? You'd give me your weapon before I even told you what part you're going to play in this?"

Iraki grinned. "Of course I trust you that much. How could you doubt it?" She continued holding out the Keyblade.

Realizing that she really didn't mind his leaving her defenseless, regardless of what her task was going to be, Kiru took the Keyblade. The blade itself was smooth and pure white, but solid as if carved out of ivory. The handle was just as smooth, but black like obsidian. He allowed it to disappear before continuing. "My task may be dangerous, but yours is the harder task, Iraki."

She didn't even flinch. He admired her for her courage, although he wished that he could stay to protect her or at least leave her a weapon with which to protect herself. Taking a deep breath but trying to appear calm, Kiru proceeded to explain her task. "You're going to have to follow Sora. You cannot lose track of him--at all costs. The worst part is, though, that you can't interfere either. I've told you about my visions of what's going to happen. You know that my visions have never been wrong before, and they accurately predicted Sora's arrival today. Even when terrible things are happening to him, YOU MUST NOT BE SEEN. You CANNOT help him. And after the terrible things are over with, you still can't lose track of him."

Iraki continued to stare down at Aros and Sora, still talking on the beach. Sora held his Keyblade raised, as if about to attack Aros. "Well, he's a smart one, at least," she stated simply.

"Iraki..."

Iraki grinned at Kiru. "You have to get going, don't you? She needs that Keyblade." Taking his hand in hers, she added, "Take care of yourself. And don't worry about me. I've gotten a lot better at that invisibility spell. I'll be just fine."

Kiru nodded, trying to keep his face impassive despite his obvious sadness. "We'll see each other again soon."

"Of course we will."

The two held hands for a moment before Kiru finally pulled away, turned, and began climbing down the ladder.

"Invisible!" Iraki cried, casting her low-level invisibility spell on Kiru. Hopefully it would be enough to get him into the cave and through the mirror without Sora or Aros noticing him. The light bent around Kiru to make him impossible to see without looking specifically at him, and his movement caused him to disappear even from Iraki's sight. "Good luck," she whispered before turning back to Sora and Aros.

* * *

Kiru stepped quickly into the cave, sighing with relief when he was safely out of Sora and Aros's lines of sight. _Now that Sora has unlocked the pond, it should react just from my touching it._ He cautiously stepped up to the pond. Peering into it, he saw nothing but clear water with a smooth, sandy bottom. It looked just like any ordinary pond. _But I know that it isn't. This pond will take me to another world... This is the one thing that I always wanted to do, visit other worlds. Now I finally have my chance. I just have to reach out and touch it._ He took a deep breath and leaned down close to the water. Putting out his right hand, he touched the surface.

Immediately a strange force seemed to seize his wrist, and Kiru found himself jerked into the water. The force let go of him, but the surface of the pond had disappeared. Kiru thrashed for a few seconds in what seemed to be surfaceless depths until suddenly a light appeared above him. Kiru swam quickly up toward it and surfaced to find himself back in the cave.

Except this cave was black instead of white, and the walls were smooth instead of rough-hewn.

Kiru pulled himself eagerly out of the water and stood, noticing that oddly enough he wasn't even wet. "Is this it?" he breathed, "Is this the other side of the mirror?"

Kiru stepped out of the cave and into the morning sunlight. He found himself looking at a sight identical to the island on which he had grown up, except a mirror image in every way. "Destiny Islands." Seeing a brown-haired young woman standing on the shore before him, Kiru took off at a run toward her.

He did not even notice the black creatures pouring out of the cave behind him.


	3. The Islands Destroyed

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 3: The Islands Destroyed**

"I can't just stand around doing nothing," Sora stated, avoiding Aros's gaze and taking small swings with his Keyblade in his frustration.

Aros nodded calmly. "I understand. Would it make you feel better if we were to spend your time doing something useful?"

Sora lowered the Keyblade to his side and raised his eyes to Aros. Aros was smiling slightly, obviously pleased with Sora's reaction. "Like what?" Sora ventured.

"Would you like to duel?"

Both grinned simultaneously, already knowing Sora's answer. _An opportunity to see if my practice has paid off. And if we really are the same person, this could be interesting._ "Where's your weapon?" Sora asked.

"Right here."

Sora gasped as a black Keyblade materialized in Aros's hand, his mind jumping immediately to the only black Keyblade he had ever seen. Upon a closer look, Sora realized that this wasn't the same Keyblade that Riku had used to "unlock" hearts--the handle was pure white--but the black color still chilled him. "Where did you get that?"

"It's my Keyblade. Does it frighten you because it's black? That's only because it's the parallel of your silver Keyblade. The white handle parallels your golden handle. Now, are you ready to duel?"

Sora grinned, trying to push away his misgivings. _Aros's appearance is entirely switched from mine, so of course the color of his Keyblade is, too._ He raised his Keyblade. "Ready."

"Let's go!" Aros began the duel with a lunge forward, obviously hoping that Sora wasn't really as ready as he claimed to be. Sora dodged deftly, thrusting his Keyblade toward Aros, but Aros managed to slam his own Keyblade into Sora's. The two Keyblades made a resounding clang as they collided, and both shook so hard as to almost make their wielders drop them.

"Wow," Sora breathed.

Aros shrugged, taking a step back. "The two sides of the mirror aren't really intended to meet."

Without another word, he slashed at Sora again. Sora defended with his Keyblade, resulting in the same resounding clang and fearsome vibrations. Both held tight to their Keyblades, and the duel continued. Sora quickly observed that Aros's swings, although quite heavy and violent, were carefully aimed and timed. Sora's own swings were quicker, but less harsh and less exact. Despite the entirely different styles of the two fighters, neither could make any headway against the other. And every clash of the Keyblades shook them both violently enough to cause a lull in the fighting so that they seemed to be constantly restarting their duel.

"This isn't accomplishing anything," Sora commented when the shaking of their Keyblades delayed the dueling once again.

"Then strike me and end this," Aros retorted, swinging low to make it awkward for Sora to block him.

Sora truly was distracted this time, and he hardly got his Keyblade in place fast enough. The shock of the blow sent him sprawling backward, although he did just barely manage to keep the Keyblade in his grip.

With Sora on the ground, Aros advanced to end the battle, striking at Sora's chest. Even so, Sora managed a block and even swung back while his hand was still vibrating from the clash of the Keyblades. Aros, not expecting this, had to jump back a step, and Sora scrambled to his feet. Sora swung again, trying to take the offensive while Aros was recovering his balance.

He stopped in midswing. Aros didn't move either. The sky had suddenly turned coal-black. Both stared up into that menacing darkness for an instant as its meaning sunk in. "They're here!" Aros proclaimed, sounding truly excited.

"No," Sora murmured as black creatures began to spring up from the ground around him. These Heartless looked just like the simple shadows he had fought many times before, except larger, as if they too had grown in the last four years. They immediately began to converge on Sora and Aros.

"Come on, Sora! Let's get to the Secret Place and leave this world." Aros lashed out at the shadows around him. His Keyblade did seem to affect them, but it certainly didn't cut through them easily.

Sora attacked the shadows as well. The resistance they put up toward the Keyblade was formidable. _They've gotten a lot stronger, too._ "We're going to have to try to cut right through," he announced and began to try to push his way forward, slashing the shadows out of his path. The swarm simply seemed to tighten around him, holding him in place.

"No good!" Aros cried. Sora could barely see him through the throng of shadows, but the tone in his voice was enough to tell Sora that Aros wasn't having any better luck than he was. "Graviga!" Sora exclaimed, taking out the shadows closest to him and knocking back some that were trying to join the cluster around him. He was able to make a bit of headway--not more than a few feet--before the shadows overtook him again.

"Stopga!" Aros cried. All the shadows around the two were effectively frozen in place, and Sora and Aros were able to begin pushing their way up the beach. However, the crowd of shadows was so great that many had been left untouched by the spell, and in less than thirty seconds Sora and Aros were in no better position than they had been in before Aros had cast the spell.

"Stopga!" Sora declared, taking Aros's lead. His effort earned them a few more feet, but they still hadn't even reached the edge of the sand, and the crowd of shadows was, if anything, growing thicker.

"Stopga!"

"Graviga!" Sora reasoned that they would never get anywhere if they didn't get rid of some of the shadows instead of just stopping them temporarily.

"Stopga!"

_I can't cast much more magic without resting._ Sora began slashing his Keyblade with renewed vigor, trying to cut through as far as he could without casting another spell. The situation was beginning to look hopeless.

At that instant the situation changed entirely. The shadows suddenly backed away. Sora made a mad dash for the Secret Place, but Aros hesitated, obviously more interested in what had caused the shadows to stop their attack.

"Come on!" Sora exclaimed. He could see the Secret Place before him, except the opening was covered by the familiar white double doors that he had seen a number of times during his first adventure.

"_Don't_!" Aros cried as Sora reached out and pulled open the doors. Light poured out, but before Sora could enter, the ground underneath him dissolved into tendrils of darkness. Sora felt the darkness pulling him down, swallowing him. He cried out, flailing uselessly, grabbing at the insubstantial light pouring from the opening.

"This world has been connected. Soon to be eclipsed." Sora heard the voice as only a whisper over the roar of the darkness, not enough to even begin to recognize it, but at that moment his mind could only think of one person: Ansem. _I was too late. I didn't seal this world._

Sora was pulled down into the deep darkness. For the second time that day he found himself unable to breathe, suffocating as he plunged into the depths.

* * *

As Kiru neared the brown-haired girl standing on the shore of Destiny Islands, he gasped and almost cried out Iraki's name. Even from behind he could see that this girl was identical to her in every way, from her long, flowing brown hair to her height and figure. He caught himself at the last moment before calling her Iraki; he knew who this girl was, and she wasn't his Iraki. He had never expected her to be Iraki's parallel, but there was no other explanation for the resemblance. This girl could not be Iraki. Not on this side of the mirror. "Kairi?"

He heard a sharp intake of breath, and the girl jerked her head toward him. His first thought was the realization that her eyes were blue whereas Iraki's were green. Then the girl spoke, giving him something entirely different to think about. "Riku?" she whispered, as if hopeful but disbelieving. The name was a shock to him. If he hadn't imagined that Iraki and Kairi were parallels, he certainly hadn't imagined the same thing between himself and Riku. _There's no other explanation. We must be so similar that she thinks I'm him._

Kairi appeared to be staring right past Kiru. It took him a second to realize that it was because Iraki's invisibility spell was still working. Iraki usually had so much trouble getting the spell to work for any amount of time that he hadn't even considered the possibility. "I have an invisibility spell on," Kiru explained, "You're going to have to look right at me to see me." Even as he gave these instructions, his mind was still preoccupied with Kairi's appearance. _Just like Aros and Sora are related, Kairi and Iraki are, too. And I at least sound like Riku, so I'm probably his parallel as well. I wonder if I look like him? If I do, then I might have a hard time convincing her of who I am. Although I don't really have to convince her, do I? If I pretend to be Riku, she'll probably be willing to take the Keyblade from me. If I try to tell her the truth, she might not trust me._ Even as he reasoned that it would be best to pose as Riku, he knew that he couldn't lie to Kairi. He felt compelled to trust her, somehow. _She looks too much like Iraki._

"Where are you?" Kairi questioned.

"Right in front of you. If you stare in my direction, you'll see me. Don't worry. If you can't find me, the spell should wear off soon anyway."

Kairi squinted in the direction of Kiru's voice, holding her head still and hardly even seeming to be breathing in her attempt to see him. She gasped suddenly and went running toward him, arms outstretched. Realizing her intent, he put his hands up in alarm, thoughts of Iraki running through his head. "Don't."

Kairi looked confused and even hurt, but she obediently stopped and lowered her arms. "I'm so glad you're okay, Riku."

Kiru looked down, not sure what to say. Obviously he both sounded and looked exactly like Riku. How could he convince her that he wasn't him? He could always try being direct. If she were as bright as Iraki, maybe she would understand. "Kairi, I'm not Riku. My name is Kiru. I come from...well, from another world. But it's more complicated than that."

"You're...not Riku?" The sadness in Kairi's eyes was unmistakable. It was enough to make Kiru wonder if Kairi and Riku felt for each other as he and Iraki did.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not. I'm...a parallel of Riku, really. It's hard to explain. You see, there's another set of worlds that are parallels of these worlds. The people who live there are mostly parallels and opposites of the people who live here. I'm from Fate Isles, where I lived with my friends Aros and Iraki. Do you understand what I mean? I'm from a parallel universe."

"I...think I understand. I know you aren't Riku. Your eyes are a different color than his."

Kiru reached up toward his bright blue eyes, the one clue that would have ruined his attempt to pretend to be Riku. _Are parallels always completely identical in every way except eye color?_

He had no more time to pursue that line of thought. Kairi gasped sharply and took a step back, her gaze jumping from Kiru to something behind him.

"What is it?"

"Shadows!" Kairi cried, "The Heartless are back!"

"What!?" Kiru spun around to find an onslaught of slinky black creatures flowing out of the cave toward them. The creatures were almost on top of them already. _Kairi must have been concentrating too hard on seeing me and didn't notice them before. I have to give her the Keyblade before anything happens to separate us._ On command, the white Keyblade materialized in Kiru's hand. Kairi gasped again at the sight of it. Kiru thrust it toward her impatiently. "It's yours. That's why I came here--to give it to you."

Kairi frowned, reaching out for it uncertainly.

"Please, take it." It was the same thing that had happened between himself and Iraki. He was asking Kairi to take his only weapon when danger was imminent, and Kairi wanted to know that he was sure about it before she did it. "Take it," he insisted.

Kairi nodded and reached for the blade, grabbing it just as the Heartless swarmed over them and knocked them both to the ground. Apparently Iraki's invisibility spell had finally worn off.

Kiru pounded at the Heartless with his fists, but to no avail. He would have to cast a spell--something he rarely did and feared doing. Magic rarely worked for him, and when it did, it usually did not work well or as he had intended it to. Sometimes it even backfired. Because of that, Kiru could never risk casting any strong spells. He could only hope that his spell would do enough damage for him to find an opening. "Thunder!"

The spell didn't work. Kiru gritted his teeth and struggled harder, but his thrashing wasn't phasing the Heartless in the least bit. _I have to try a stronger spell. No! If a stronger spell backfires... But what else can I do? There has to be something! Please!_

There was a small explosion of light in front of Kiru, stunning the Heartless that were swarming over his body. Through the mass of Heartless, Kiru was able to discern the outline of an object suspended in the air. Shoving his right arm through the distracted Heartless, he reached out and grabbed one end of it. Feeling the cold metal in his grip, he was reminded of another object. At first he panicked. Iraki's Keyblade could not have come back to him. He had delivered it to Kairi. But he quickly became aware that this Keyblade felt different. It had a rougher texture. Regardless of where it had come from, this was his chance to break through the Heartless without magic. He began swinging the Keyblade, trying to use it to pry the Heartless from his body and give himself a chance to stand. The Heartless gave way beneath the blade without too much difficulty on his part. He could feel the Keyblade pulsing with power in his hand. Through the swarm of shadows he was able to catch glimpses of it--enough to see its golden blade and silver handle. After slowly working his way to his feet, he began to look around frantically. Kairi still had to be there somewhere, although hopefully she could use Iraki's Keyblade well enough to defend herself. "Kairi?" It didn't matter if they were separated as long as she had the Keyblade, but he had intended to protect her.

Finally Kiru caught a gleam of something in the sand. He dove for it, and to both his relief and dread came up with Iraki's Keyblade in his left hand. She had dropped it when she'd been tackled, and now she was nowhere to be seen. "Kairi!?" Kiru began to cut through the Heartless with both Keyblades at once, for the first time in his life truly glad for the time he'd spent training himself to use a sword left-handed as well as right. He noticed that the Keyblade that had appeared was much more potent than Iraki's, but his attention was less on his struggle and more on searching for any glimpses of color. She had to be around there somewhere. "Kairi!"

The sky began to darken, and Kiru's dread deepened. The Heartless were about to destroy Destiny Islands. If he didn't find Kairi immediately, he'd have to search all the worlds on that side of the mirror for her. _All I have to do is give her the Keyblade--even if we get separated after that. Even if the Heartless take me. Ansem said she has to have the Keyblade, so she's going to have it._ Kiru slashed harder, looking more desperately. The darkness was obscuring his vision, and the shadows swarming all around him did nothing to improve the situation. "Kairi!" He listened desperately for a reply, but all he could hear was the sound of the shadows shuffling across the ground and the Keyblades striking against them.

Suddenly the ground dissolved beneath him, and tendrils of darkness snaked up from it, grabbing him and pulling him down. "Kairi!" Kiru cried desperately, "Kairi, where are you? Please, grab the Keyblade! You have to take the Keyblade!"

And, as the darkness pulled him under, Kiru thrashed as best he could with one arm. The other he held straight and high, determined to keep Iraki's Keyblade in the air for as long as possible and praying that he would feel Kairi grab it.

The Keyblade, however, remained untouched. _No..._ Kiru's arm finally lowered as he lost consciousness and was pulled fully into the darkness.


	4. Ambush

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 4: Ambush**

Sora opened his eyes slowly, groaning slightly as he tried to sit up. Instinctively, he clasped one hand against his chest. His heart was pounding fast, and his chest felt as if an incredible force had plowed into it. "Something...tried to steal my heart." He put his other hand to his head, trying to clear it and sort out his memories. He had been with Aros, on the world like Destiny Islands. They had dueled, and then... "His world was destroyed." Sora pulled himself to his feet, still clutching protectively at his pounding heart, and looked around at his new surroundings. He had been lying in the back of an alley, a wall of boards blocking the path just behind him. The side of a building rose up to his left and a stone wall to his right. Boxes and barrels sat along the sides of the alley, and a building rose up at the other end, facing away from the alley. The street obviously turned a corner there. He couldn't see which way it turned from where he was standing, but he knew it would turn to the left and lead into the main square of the First District. Every last detail of the alley was familiar to him, but at the same time flipped. He knew there should be a hole in the boards behind him, but he and his friends had not broken through these boards to find a hidden treasure chest. This was not the city he knew. "Traverse Town? No. This is its parallel." A name came to mind. One he had only heard in a dream. _But after all that's happened, I know that dream was more than just a dream. So maybe this really is Crossroads City._

Suddenly, Sora heard something hit the ground beside him. He had begun to whirl around, summoning his Keyblade, when a heavy object slammed into the back of his head, sending him sprawling to the ground and his Keyblade flying out of his grasp. He saw stars at first, and an instant later, when the stars had cleared, his head was spinning too much for him to stand. Instead, he propped himself up on his shoulder and turned his body somewhat so that he could face his attacker. The world was spinning too much from the blow to make out anything about the person other than a blur of blacks and grays that included both the figure and the dark alley around him, but Sora had other concerns than just the attacker's identity. "Firaga!" he cried, trying to aim at the figure that he couldn't get his eyes to focus on. Without the Keyblade to focus the spell or even a clear idea of where his attacker was standing, Sora managed to miss his target completely.

His enemy laughed, moving right up to Sora and stepping hard on his back so that Sora couldn't rise. The figure made no more sound. "Graviga!" Sora cried. His opponent grunted from the blow, but then simply dug his heel in harder. Sora cried out as his enemy brought his weapon down again, cracking him violently over the head. His face was smashed into the pavement, his head spinning and throbbing enough to make him want to welcome unconsciousness--but he couldn't give up that easily. "Curaga!" Sora shouted, hoping to recover enough strength to at least get himself out of underneath his opponent so that he could retrieve the Keyblade. "Gravi-"

His opponent brought down his weapon again, harder this time, doing as much damage as the cure spell had healed, if not more. He followed it with another blow before Sora could even begin to speak a spell. Sora felt blood trickling down his neck. Whoever this was wasn't after his heart--he was actually attempting to kill him. "Curaga," Sora breathed as another blow came down. His vision was all flashes of light now. He couldn't move a muscle, and his hold on consciousness was tenacious at best. Another blow would be all his opponent needed. He'd surely loss consciousness, and that would be the end of it.

"_Thundaga_!!"

Sora heard the metallic clang of two weapons colliding accompany the spell and felt his enemy step back off of him. Someone was saving him. Relieved, Sora couldn't help but give into the pain, allowing unconsciousness to take him.

* * *

Sora was floating in a black void. He couldn't see anything around him but darkness. And the void was heavy and pressing against his body, as if it were alive. He tried to remember what had happened and how he'd gotten there, but his thoughts were fuzzy and garbled. The void was pressing against his mind, keeping him from thinking. It hurt to try to work against the darkness. "Wh-where am I?" he choked out, his words as easily smothered by the void as his thoughts.

"It is coming," stated an ominous male voice. The voice was vaguely familiar to Sora. He tried to remember who it was, but the darkness was pressing like a vice against his mind. He gave up on thinking. "Where am I?" he repeated, adding, "Who are you?"

"You have to be ready for the darkness. Your heart cannot be forced to darkness, but your body can be. And you have to be willing to let that happen. You have to allow your body to be turned to darkness. That is the only way. You understand, don't you? There is no other choice. The darkness is coming for you. It is already near. It could overtake you at any time."

The voice completely ignored Sora's questions. He tried to determine which direction it was coming from so that, if he could figure out how to move, he could find the person that the voice belonged to. A name was on the tip of his tongue. This was someone he knew. _But who?_

"And you have to let the darkness overtake you. That's the most important thing. You have to let the darkness have you, no matter how much it hurts or how much you don't want to lose the light. You have to allow your body to be consumed by darkness. The darkness is coming. Get ready."

And Sora felt himself sliding then, falling through the void of nothing. The pressure of the darkness didn't decrease for an instant, even as he kept falling and falling. But he had other worries besides the void. A thought had finally made it through to his mind. He knew that voice. "Ansem."

* * *

Sora groaned, opening his eyes to find Aros standing over him, Keyblade in hand. "You're still alive!" Aros exclaimed, "And awake. You had such a nasty wound on your head, I can't believe you stayed conscious as long as you did. When I attacked him, he dropped the metal pipe he was hitting you with and retreated. I guess he didn't want to fight me. But when I saw the blood on the pipe, I thought... Here, let me help." He let his Keyblade disappear and extended his hand to Sora.

Sora wasn't sure if he could sit up, but he wasn't about to admit that to Aros. He longed to cast cure on himself, but he was incredibly dizzy and felt completely drained. Trying to cast anything would be a waste. So he reached up and took Aros's hand, allowing the young man to pull him into a sitting position. He lurched slightly, and Aros, thankfully, put his other hand behind Sora's back to steady him. "I never learned any cure spells," Aros admitted, "but I do have this."

Sora took the elixir Aros offered him gratefully, feeling strength flow back into his body with every swallow. However, his head continued to throb, and the dizziness only lessened slightly. He could still feel blood on his neck from his wound, but it felt dry. The bleeding seemed to have stopped.

"That guy was trying to kill you," Aros commented, taking his hand away since Sora appeared to be strong enough to sit up on his own now.

Sora held his body up through force of will. He nodded in agreement, but the movement made his head hurt. "Did you see who it was? Could you describe him to me? Was it Ansem?"

Aros shook his head. "No, Ansem's blond. This guy had silver hair."

"Silver hair!?" The Ansem Sora knew had silver hair.

"Yes. He looked like...like someone I know." Aros looked away.

Sora narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"He looked just like a friend of mine. But I don't think it was him. This guy had a blindfold on, but it was pulled up above his eyes. He was squinting badly, though, like it was too bright out for him. Maybe it was a false twin."

"A what?"

Aros sighed. "It's a long story. An old legend, really. Ansem's Report had the most detailed version I'd ever seen. Ansem obviously believed that it was true."

"What's this legend about?"

"The two sides of the mirror and the two doors to Kingdom Hearts. But there's no time to tell it now. I have to get you somewhere safe before you get attacked again."

"The Keyblade!" Sora cried, suddenly remembering his lost weapon.

"You lost it!?" Sora could hear the anger in Aros's voice. "If he made off with your Keyblade..."

Sora scanned the alley, his eyes, although completely unable to focus, still quickly catching the glint of the Keyblade in the shadows of a back corner, mostly because of the color contrast between the light and the darkness. A glance at Aros told him that the other young man had not spotted it yet. Sora knew he was probably too dizzy to get up and grab the Keyblade before Aros noticed what he was doing and grabbed it himself. If Sora wanted it back, he'd either have to try to grab it or ask Aros to get it for him. Either way required trusting Aros and taking the chance that Aros might steal it for himself. _He seemed so interested in it when I first met him... But then, he did just save my life. And if I just leave the Keyblade lying in the alley, anyone can take it._ "The Keyblade's right over there," Sora stated, gesturing toward the shadows where the Keyblade lay.

"Great!" Aros exclaimed, immediately straightening and walking over to retrieve the Keyblade. He picked it up and held it for a moment, turning it over in his hands and admiring it. As Sora's stomach knotted with worry that Aros was about to run off with his weapon, Aros took a few swings with the Keyblade. But then he came back over to Sora and handed it to him. Although to Sora it seemed like Aros hesitated before offering the Keyblade. "It's lighter than mine," Aros commented, "I suppose that's good, really. You like to make quick, light blows; I like to make slower, heavier blows."

Sora frowned at him. Aros sounded distant, as if he weren't really talking to Sora but were simply musing about the Keyblades to himself. Sora resolved at that point to keep the Keyblade in his own hands and as far from Aros's as possible. "We need to get to a hotel or something where we can talk without being disturbed," Sora broke in, trying to snap Aros out of his reverie.

"Hm?" Aros mumbled, turning his attention to Sora, "Oh, yeah, good idea. Here." He took Sora's arm--his Keyblade arm, Sora noticed--firmly in his hand and began to pull Sora steadily to his feet.

The world began to spin around Sora and, on reflex, to his embarrassment, he grabbed Aros's arm with his other hand to help steady himself. Aros, however, didn't make any condescending remarks and instead continued to hold onto Sora's arm until Sora pulled his arm away. "I'm okay," Sora lied through gritted teeth, praying that the ground would stop moving so he could walk without tripping. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the world was still spinning, but it seemed to have slowed down a bit.

"Maybe a hotel isn't such a good idea," Aros commented, "I think you need medical attention."

"I'm just a little dizzy," Sora insisted, vainly attempting to hold onto some shred of his pride. It was bad enough that he had allowed himself to be jumped by a guy with a pipe, then he'd gone and gotten himself pulverized, and now he was too injured to walk, let alone travel between worlds. _I have to be fine. I have to get to the door to the light as soon as possible. Only then can I go back to Kairi and protect her from the Heartless..._

"Ansem told us about this place. This is Crossroads City, the main avenue between all the worlds. It's either fate or dumb luck that we ended up here. Anyway, a big city like this has to have a medical facility somewhere. Can you walk?"

"Of course!" Sora bit his lip and concerned very hard on the ground, trying to will it into staying still. He tried to take a few steps, but he entirely lost his balance and had to be caught by Aros to keep him from falling into one of the alley's brick walls.

"You stay here. I'll go get someone to help." Aros guided Sora back to the ground until Sora was sitting against the wall. Sora wanted desperately to protest, but he knew that he'd only be humiliating himself further, so he simply nodded dumbly. He tried to watch Aros leave to see which way he went, but the spinning got worse when he tried to focus on something that was moving, and he wound up simply closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall.

He heard the scraping of footsteps on the pavement. Sora's eyes snapped open. Aros shouldn't have been returning so quickly.

Sure enough Sora was faced by a silver-haired figure just reaching down to pick up the metal pipe Sora's previous attacker--probably the same person as this one--had discarded. The figure had a blindfold pulled so low over his eyes as to obscure them completely. And the figure looked just like someone Sora knew. "Riku?" Sora breathed, blinking a few times to confirm that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him.

The figure said nothing, but simply lifted the pipe and began to advance toward Sora, a smile growing on his lips.

"No!" Sora raised the Keyblade and tried to scramble to his feet, but the ground and the sky got confused in his mind, and he fell right back to his sitting position.

The figure laughed and kept coming.

"Firaga!" Sora cried.

The figure stopped for a second and turned his face away, allowing the attack to wash over him. He grunted slightly, but was otherwise unfazed. And he resumed his approach.

"Blizzaga!"

The figure stopped and turned his face away again, hardly seeming fazed by the attack. He was standing over Sora then. He raised his pipe.

Sora concentrated hard, trying to steady the image of his attacker's weapon so that he could fend off the blow. The figure brought the metal pipe down hard, and Sora raised the Keyblade, managing to meet his blow, albeit a little lower on the pipe than he would have liked to. The figure pulled back again, immediately bringing the pipe down past the Keyblade and grabbing the end of the Keyblade with his other hand simultaneously. Sora jerked the Keyblade back out of his attacker's grasp, swinging it up into the air and just barely knocking the pipe far enough away to make his enemy's the blow strike the wall above his head. "Riku, why are you doing this?"

The figure still said nothing, and instead simply raised the pipe and brought it down against Sora again. Sora blocked it with the Keyblade, but the figure used his other hand to grab Sora's Keyblade arm and jerk it back. The figure was stronger than Sora, and Sora was being forced to slowly lower the Keyblade. _I can't block his next blow!_

The figure raised the pipe again, bringing it down and slamming it into Sora's head. The world heaved as Sora's head spun harder, and he groaned and collapsed onto the ground, just barely holding onto a thread of consciousness. _I'm all alone this time,_ he realized dimly, _All alone and I can't fight back._ Consciousness was slipping away again. He held onto it with all his might. His head was spinning viciously, but he was still able to perceive his attacker raising his weapon over his head to deliver another blow. _This is it. No one to save me. And nothing I can do..._


	5. The Silver Keyblade Master

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 5: The Silver Keyblade Master**

"Stop!" cried a male voice from the end of the alleyway. Through the ringing in his ears and the immense pain in his head, Sora heard rapidly approaching footsteps. He opened his eyes and, although all he could really distinguish were blurs of color, realized that a blade had just come down in front of him, knocking the metal pipe clear out of his attacker's hands. His enemy straightened and stepped away from Sora, the visitor's sword apparently pressed against his enemy's neck.

"Are you all right?" This voice was different--a woman. Sora tried to turn his head. Someone was bending over him.

"Stay still," the woman commanded gently. Sora felt soft hands touch his head, evaluating his injury, but he couldn't make out the woman's features at all.

Sora heard rapid footsteps again. His attacker was fleeing. The man who had saved him mumbled something angrily under his breath and took off after the attacker.

Safe now, Sora shifted his attention back to the woman leaning over him. He squinted, trying to get a look at her, but the world was spinning so violently that he couldn't perceive anything beyond swirls of color. And even keeping his eyes open was a strain. The comforting serenity of unconsciousness beckoned to him.

"Curaga!" the woman cried. Sora was given the impression of something being waved or moved in front of him. He felt a cooling sensation, like water pouring through his body, and strength poured back into him. He sighed gratefully as the pain in his head faded, although both the throbbing and the awful dizziness remained as powerful as ever. Now that his strength was back, he wanted to sit up, but the spinning was so violent that he wasn't even sure he could manage that.

"What's wrong? Are you poisoned?" Sora seemed to sense true concern in the woman's voice, which was a comfort. He was in no state to defend himself from anything. If he were attacked again, hopefully she would be willing to defend him. Although he hated the thought of someone else having to risk herself to protect him.

"I'm just dizzy," Sora replied, the sound of his own voice ringing painfully in his ears over the pounding of his head. "And...I have...a headache." He closed his eyes, relatively sure at this point that he could at the very least trust the woman not to try to hurt him. And the relentless spinning was making him want to pass out, regardless of the fact that his strength had been restored.

"Don't worry," the woman said, her tone reassuring, "Esuna should take care of all of that." He heard her say, "Esuna," and coolness poured through his body again, this time taking the pounding and the dizziness with it.

Relieved, Sora sat up slowly, as much to prove that he could as for any practical reason. He opened his eyes and finally was able to take a look at the woman who had healed him. She was kneeling in front of him, a long staff in her hand. She appeared to be a young woman, with brown hair about to her shoulders, except for one longer strand hanging down covered in blue beads. Her outfit was unlike any Sora had ever seen, consisting of a white top of folded cloth, a thick, decorated yellow sash around her waist tied in a large bow in the back, a long purple skirt decorated with white flowers, and black boots. The tops of her arms were bare, but toward the ends she wore bands of cloth tied with purple string that hung down almost as far as her skirt, white at the top but deepening to pink. Her most striking feature, however, was her eyes--one blue and one green--and her face was as kind as her voice. Noticing Sora's stare, she smiled. "My name is Yuna."

"I'm Sora," he replied.

"Nice to meet you, Sora. I'm glad you're all right. Why was that other man attacking you?"

Sora shifted uncomfortably under Yuna's gaze. "I don't really know."

"You don't know?" Yuna's eyes narrowed for an instant, then widened again to their previous open gaze. "But I suppose you don't really know who I am yet, either. And being beaten half to death would make anyone nervous about strangers."

Before Sora could reply to that, a young man rounded the corner. He had short, blond hair that was somewhat wild and bright blue eyes. He wore a yellow shirt too short for the blue overalls that were over it. His left arm had some sort of protective guard over it--a blue shoulder pad connected to a green arm guard by some sort of red netting. He had a pendant hanging from his neck, and a chain similar to Sora's own hung from his belt. One pant leg hung longer than the other with a strange red and yellow symbol at the bottom, and he wore bright yellow shoes. He was obviously the man who had protected Sora. He had a sword drawn and was looking extremely frustrated.

"He got away?" Yuna asked gently, rising to walk over to the man.

"Yeah, he did." The man kicked the pavement with the toe of his yellow shoe, then resumed his advance toward Yuna. "How's the other guy?" he questioned, peering down the alley. He stopped short, apparently noticing that Sora was conscious and sitting up. "So you're okay! That's good."

Sora made no reply, but simply stared at the man. The outfit was different, and the age didn't match, but that blond hair, those blue eyes, that careless recklessness that the two boys both possessed... "Tidus?"

The man frowned, giving Sora a closer look. "Do I know you?"

_It is him! But he looks much older than he should be. And what is he doing here?_ Understanding hit Sora then. _Of course! This is the other side of the mirror. This Tidus must be a parallel or...something._ "No, I don't know you, just of you."

Tidus grinned, accepting Sora's answer as if he were a celebrity and had expected it. "Yeah, I'm Tidus. You?"

"Sora."

"And that guy who attacked you?"

Before Sora could reply, the three heard a popping noise at the other end of the alley. "Heartless!" Sora cried. Looking down at the alley at the attackers, he recognized them as soldiers, but they were more advanced than normal soldiers, just as the shadows had been more advanced. Their bright yellow eyes were more slanted and sinister. The supple ends of their helmets hung down their backs much as the antennae of the shadows had. Their navy blue arms and legs were more muscular, and their red claws much longer and sharper. Tidus was charging at the Heartless, sword at the ready, before Sora had even finished announcing the attack. Sora himself jumped to his feet, the Keyblade appearing in his hand. The two of them charged into the group of Heartless, slashing the second their weapons were close enough to reach their enemies.

Tidus's sword, although fierce and sharp, had no more effect on the Heartless than Sora's Keyblade. These soldiers were even harder to cut through than the shadows had been, but, thankfully, there was only a small group of them.

"Thundaga!" Sora cried, the closest soldiers dissolving from the lightning. Tidus shot him a surprised look, and Sora guessed that Yuna was doing the same behind him. _They must think that I'm a pushover, after seeing me so badly injured. Not for long, though._ Sora grinned and cried, "Firaga!" striking down some of the Heartless farther away from him.

Tidus simply plowed on ahead, slashing viciously at the Heartless. "Hastega!" he shouted, and suddenly his movements seemed to speed up.

Sora felt a strange energy pour through his own body, and he quickened his slashes, too. His grin widened. Now they definitely had a fighting chance at taking down these Heartless.

Tidus's attempt to make short work the Heartless, however, turned out to be a bit too reckless. More Heartless popped into existence behind him, and Tidus suddenly found himself surrounded.

"Tidus, I'll summon Valefor!" Yuna yelled, worry apparent in her voice.

"Don't!" Tidus declared, "We can handle this!"

Despite the situation, Sora couldn't help but renew his grin. Tidus had said "we." He was considering Sora a fighter now. _Then I should be the one who does something to help him._ "Stopga!"

Sora was only close enough to stop the Heartless on one side of Tidus, but it was enough to allow Tidus to regain control of the situation. _I hope this is the last of them,_ Sora thought as he dove into the stopped Heartless, planning to take down as many as he could before they recovered.

The Heartless were still hard to cut through, but Sora sensed a change in the Keyblade as he fought more of them. It almost seemed to be adapting to fighting these enemies. Whatever the cause, Sora knew that it was getting easier to take the Heartless down. Tidus's sword, however, seemed just as ineffective as ever.

No more Heartless appeared, and with a little time and a couple cure spells from Yuna, Sora and Tidus were able to finish off the rest of the Heartless without too much more trouble.

"Pretty impressive," Tidus stated as he and Sora walked back over to Yuna, their weapons already put away.

Sora smiled. "Thanks. I've been practicing lately."

"Were those really Heartless?" Yuna questioned. She seemed to be studying Sora now, but not suspiciously, more like with curiosity.

"You know about the Heartless?" It was Sora's turn to be surprised.

"We've heard of them," Tidus replied, "But never seen them. I didn't actually think they even existed, but now..." He trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. His gaze focused back in on Sora. "And what is that weapon of yours? It almost looked like it was made to fight those guys, the way it got more effective as the battle went on."

Sora raised an eyebrow. _So I wasn't imagining things. The Keyblade really did enhance itself during the battle._ "My weapon. It's..." He swallowed, uncertain whether or not he should continue. He had only just met these two, but all they had done was help him, and they obviously weren't working for the Heartless, considering how eager they'd been to fight them. And judging from their confused looks, even if they had heard of the Heartless, they had no real idea what they were.

It was their genuine looks that convinced him. Sora didn't think someone working for the darkness could fake emotions that well. So he took a deep breath and began his story. "I should start with the Heartless, really. They're just what they sound like--creatures without hearts. They steal hearts from others and can even take the hearts from worlds, destroying them. This"--he summoned the Keyblade to his hand--"is the Keyblade. It can lock worlds and keep them from being destroyed. It's also a useful weapon against the Heartless. The Keyblade chooses its own master, which right now is me. Cutting through simple Heartless like those used to be easy, but the Heartless have grown. They're different, now."

"So you've fought them before?" Yuna inquired.

Sora nodded. "Four years ago. I helped seal them behind the door to the darkness. But someone has unsealed the door, and they're beginning to destroy worlds again."

"So that gibberish Ansem was going on about is true," Tidus declared.

Sora stiffened. "You know Ansem?"

Yuna nodded, frowning at Sora's reaction. "He was the leader of our world, and a very popular and benevolent one--until about four years ago."

Both Sora and Tidus locked their gazes on Yuna now, Sora because he needed to know more about Ansem, and Tidus because he'd just realized that the timing of Sora's first battles with the Heartless and the changes in Ansem coincided.

Yuna continued, "He started locking himself up in his laboratory, doing 'research.' He wouldn't tell anyone about it, just wrote everything down in a report. But NO ONE, not even his closest advisors, were allowed to read it. And then suddenly, two weeks ago, Ansem announced that everyone was going to have to leave our world. He showed us a hidden door not far from his castle with a strange golden road outside it and said, 'Think of a city and the road will take you there.' The people didn't want to leave, so he called in the military to force us to do it. He didn't hurt anybody, but he might have if people had continued to resist. I really don't know what he would have done. He's never acted like that before. And I think that after he sent all the citizens out, he probably made the military follow. But I don't think that he left. Maybe he really did know about a danger that was coming and wanted to get everyone else to safety. Maybe he's planning to die there--to go down with his world. I really don't know. When he told us to leave, he did a lot of babbling about things that no one could understand. We all thought he was crazy, but he said the word 'Heartless' many times. Maybe it wasn't gibberish after all."

The sound of pounding footsteps stopped Sora from asking anything more. Aros wheeled around the corner at a dead run, stopping short when he noticed Sora standing and healthy. "Sora, you're okay! And..." Aros's eyes narrowed, and he looked suspiciously at Tidus and Yuna.

Sora frowned. Before Aros could say anything that might offend Sora's new allies, he broke in, "I got attacked again. Tidus saved me, and Yuna healed me. They're refugees from their world, too."

Aros turned his gaze to Sora, seemingly confused at his defense of the strangers. He nodded, but his hostile look didn't change. "Good," he replied, but his voice was flat, "I couldn't find anyone who wasn't too afraid to help you. So we can go to the exit of this world now, right?"

"Not yet."

"Why? We need-"

"Not yet."

Aros grew quiet, waiting for Sora to continue. Sora was surprised at how firm he was being. Aros seemed to be surprised, too, although his face mostly showed aggravation. "I want to find out more about Ansem," Sora declared. Aros didn't argue. He inclined his head slightly, as if to tell Sora that he was conceding to his authority.

Tidus nodded. "Come back to the Hotel with us. Auron can give you much more information than we can."

Sora grinned, hoping to dispel the tense mood. "All right. Let's go!"

Tidus grinned back at him, and Yuna smiled slightly, but her smile more seemed to say that she understood what Sora was trying to do than that she actually believed his sudden cheerfulness. Tidus and Yuna started off toward the end of the alley, side by side, their hands unclasped but constantly brushing against each other. Sora followed, Aros sticking close to him and mumbling irritably under his breath. Sora tried to ignore him and keep up his cheerful facade. _I think I can trust Tidus and Yuna. And I'm going to get some answers about what's going on. I need to. Especially if there's another Ansem on the loose..._

The sound of a bell ringing jarred Sora from his thoughts. It rang once...twice...three times. Sora tried to ignore it, but something tugged at his thoughts. There was something about the bell that he should remember...

Sora gasped, stopping suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Aros demanded. Tidus and Yuna stopped and turned back to him as well.

"There's something I have to do," Sora replied hastily before breaking into a run, dashing on ahead of the others toward the door to the Second District.

He rushed through the door and ran along the ledge, turning to head down the stairway. At the sight of the fountain, he smiled slightly. The picture there was the same as the one he remembered: butterflies on a cream-colored background. It was just as he had suspected.

Summoning the Keyblade, Sora walked up to the fountain and held the Keyblade in the air. Suddenly the image of a Keyhole was superimposed over the fountain and its decorative picture. A small stream of light shot out from the Keyblade into the Keyhole. A click resounded, the light faded, and the Keyhole disappeared. Sora turned around to find Tidus, Yuna, and Aros all standing and staring at him. Tidus's jaw had dropped, Yuna's eyes showed what could only be surprise, and even Aros's eyes seemed a bit wide.

"What...did you do?" Tidus breathed.

"I sealed the world," Sora explained, grinning, "Now the Heartless can't destroy it."

His explanation was met with blank looks. Sora laughed. "Let's go to the Hotel. Maybe I can explain it better then."

Inside he was rejoicing. This proved what Aros had told him. The Keyholes on this side of the mirror were in the same places as the Keyholes on his side. Which meant that the door to the light was probably in the same place as the door to the darkness. _I just have to figure out how to reveal the final Keyhole so I can get there._ He didn't even let his smile waver at the thought. He couldn't worry about that now. He knew what he had to do. At least partly. And that sense of purpose reassured him. _Maybe I will make it to the door soon after all._

* * *

A blindfolded figure clothed all in black stood next to the bell over the Gizmo Shop. He had needed to make a deal with the one who controlled the Heartless so that the Opposite Armor would not prevent the Silver Keyblade Master from sealing the Keyhole. He couldn't afford to wait for a battle before having his questions answered. He knew that if he had moved just a few feet forward he would have been able to see the scene below by the fountain, but that would have required removing his blindfold and possibly being spotted. The blindfolded figure had been slightly worried that he wouldn't be able to sense it when the Keyhole was sealed, but that had been an idle fear. The darkness in his heart had immediately felt it when the world became protected from the Heartless. The Silver Keyblade Master had sealed the Keyhole the minute he had heard the bell from the Gizmo Shop. Good. That was exactly what the blindfolded figure had wanted to find out. "You really are the same person, aren't you, Sora?" He turned and headed back into the Gizmo Shop. He had other plans to tend to now.

* * *

"Invisible," Iraki whispered for the umpteenth time. She was starting to feel drained from all the magic use, but she couldn't risk the spell wearing off even for a second. If she were so much as glimpsed, she would have failed the mission Ansem had given her. She was already thankful enough that she had regained consciousness before Sora. She had awoken in the shadows of the alley only a few feet away from him with hardly enough time to cast an invisibility spell before he woke up, too.

It had been hard to watch the mysterious silver-haired young man--the one identical to Kiru in every way--beating Sora viciously. She had been afraid for his life and had almost stepped in to help more than once, although it was unclear what she had planned to do. She was unarmed and had only a few low-level magic spells at her disposal anyway. _Kiru warned me that bad things were going to happen to Sora. And he was right. Standing off to the side and watching more of these battles is going to be awful._ Even as she thought it, she knew that those simple battles weren't the "bad things" that Kiru had been referring to. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. _At least Sora has some allies now. People other than Aros. Hopefully they will be able to protect him._ She knew it was a false hope. If Kiru said that "bad things" were going to happen to Sora, then they would happen. No matter what anyone tried to do to stop them. _I'm sorry, Sora. You really want to save these worlds, don't you? And you seem so cheerful and kind. You're going to suffer soon, and you don't even have a clue about it._

Iraki watched regretfully as Sora began to lead the way to the Hotel. Sora seemed eager and excited, obviously pleased to have sealed the world and to have the company of two new people and the opportunity to get more information. _He's so carefree. I can't do anything for him, and he has no idea about the danger that's coming. I'm so sorry that I can't help you, Sora..._

Iraki watched the figures enter the Hotel and followed, dread weighing on her heart. Sora's time was short. She was sure of it.


	6. The Golden Keyblade Master

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 6: The Golden Keyblade Master**

Kairi awoke to the feeling of something cold and wet on her face. She pulled back, putting out a hand and brushing against something furry. "Wha...?" She opened her eyes to find the wet-nosed face of a yellow dog pressed up against hers. He stuck out his tongue and licked her face again before turning and bounding away. "Hey! Where are you going?" Kairi jumped to her feet, about to follow the dog, but stopped short. She was in the middle of a green field of rolling hills, a white road cutting through the countryside in a gently weaving line. The sun was high in a cloudless sky, and Kairi could quite clearly see the castle in the distance, blue-topped spires rising in a twisting pattern above the white structure. "Where...am I?"

Memory came flooding back to her. The young man who had looked like Riku. The white Keyblade that had felt so...comfortable in her hand. The Heartless attacking. Having the Keyblade knocked away. The ground disappearing. Being pulled in by tendrils of darkness. "Destiny Islands was destroyed! But I came out all right this time. Where am I? What world is this?"

"Pluto, slow down!" Kairi turned toward the direction from which the voice had come--the same direction as the castle. _I know that voice, but...it can't be..._

"Gawrsh, Pluto," came a second, panting voice, just as recognizable as the first, "What didja find that's so important?"

Kairi grinned. At least she'd wound up among friends. And if Donald and Goofy were here, maybe, just maybe, the most important person of all was, too. She could see the three approaching figures now, although they were still somewhat far away. "Donald! Goofy! Is that really you?"

Two of the figures stopped short, and Pluto continued to bound toward Kairi on his own. "Who's there?" Donald demanded in his usual angry manner.

"It's me. Kairi."

Donald and Goofy abruptly took off again, running toward Kairi with renewed efforts, eager to find out if what they were hearing were true. If Kairi had really found her way to the King's Castle...

Kairi began running toward them as well, eager to see these friends again, but even more eager to hear news of someone not present.

Pluto reached her first, giving her a joyful bark and running circles around her as she continued to dash toward the others, staying just enough out of the way that she didn't trip over him.

When she did reach Donald and Goofy, Goofy wrapped her up in a tight hug. "Gawrsh, Kairi, it really is you!"

"Good to see you again," Donald stated.

Goofy let her go, and Kairi smiled at them both and at Pluto, sitting beside Donald, panting with his tongue lolling out. "It's great to see you again, too. But..." She didn't want to belittle her excitement at being reunited with these friends, but she had to ask about him now. She couldn't wait another instant. "Where's Sora? Isn't he with you?"

Goofy and Donald both looked away, Goofy now scuffing his shoe on the ground uncomfortably. Even Pluto pulled his tongue back into his mouth and lowered his head, whimpering slightly.

"What's wrong? Is he hurt?"

"No, Sora's fine, Kairi. At least, he was yesterday. But...uh..." Goofy couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.

A knot began to grow in Kairi's stomach. "What happened to him, Goofy?" Goofy swallowed and said nothing. "Donald?" Kairi pleaded.

"He left. This morning. We found a note in his room. He said that he had a dream and needed to start his journey. Alone."

"He left...this morning?" Kairi bit her lip to hold back the tears. Sora had been here for four years, and the day that she came here he left before they even got to see each other? It was just too much to bear. "Can I...can I see the note?"

"Sure, Kairi. You can even stay in that room, if ya want. Until Sora comes back, of course."

Goofy's optimism was too typical to be very reassuring, but the thought of being in the room where Sora had stayed was a slight comfort to Kairi. "Thanks, guys."

"No problem. Anything for a friend."

Pluto licked Kairi's hand as if to reinforce Goofy's statement, and the three started heading back to the castle, Pluto at their side.

"Kairi," Donald piped up, a bit nervously, "How did you get here?"

The events that had almost slipped her mind in her desperation to see Sora came flooding back to her then. _The Heartless! I have to warn them!_ "I woke up here after...after the Heartless destroyed my island again."

Goofy, Donald, and even Pluto stopped dead. "Didja say the...the Heartless!?" Goofy stammered.

Kairi nodded solemnly. "They showed up this morning and attacked. Just after this strange young man came."

"That's real important stuff, Kairi! We might have to do something or find Sora... Come on, we gotta get back to the castle and tell the queen! Kairi, you've gotta tell us everything!" Goofy took off running, Donald grumbling but following just as quickly, and Kairi followed also, Pluto sticking close beside her.

Kairi began to prepare her story for Goofy and Donald. She knew that she would have to tell them about the young man, Kiru. And the white Keyblade that he had tried to give her. _He said that he came to give it to me. He was so insistent that I had to have it. And now I don't know where he is or where it is. What happens if I don't find it? What was so important that he left his world to give the Keyblade to me?_ The sinking feeling in the pit of Kairi's stomach was getting worse with every minute. Something was going to happen soon. Something terrible.

* * *

Kiru opened his eyes slowly, groaning slightly. For a second he was confused, trying to remember where he was and what had happened. Then the memory of the darkness came back to him, and Kairi, and the two Keyblades. He gasped and stood, calling both Keyblades to his hands. They both appeared; he did still have Iraki's Keyblade. _I failed. I didn't carry out Ansem's instructions._ He sighed and allowed Iraki's Keyblade to disappear, but he kept out the other Keyblade--the one that had appeared to him so suddenly at the crucial moment. He turned it over slowly in his hands, studying the rough silver handle and elegant golden blade ending with the notches of an enormous key. It had appeared in the air with a flash of light, hovering beside him. That was exactly how Iraki had described it when her Keyblade had appeared to her four years ago. _But where did it come from? And why did it save me?_ He allowed the golden Keyblade to disappear as well. _It saved me, and I still failed._ Then another thought came to his mind. _If Ansem meant for me to give the white Keyblade away before finding the golden Keyblade, why did he insist that I learn to wield a sword in both hands? Or did he expect this to happen? But how would he know that the golden Keyblade would appear to me?_ He had no answers to any of his questions, so he pushed those thoughts from his mind for the moment and turned his attention to his surroundings.

He was in the back of an alley. It was boarded up just behind him, but there was a large hole in the boards. Peering through, he saw only a small opening quickly blocked off by a pile of large crates. Turning back to the alley around him, he took in the stone wall to his left and the building to his right. The alley ended with another building rising up, facing away from the alley. Obviously there was a corner to turn there. The sides of the alley were lined with various boxes and barrels.

Kiru felt excitement growing within him more than anything else. This was an alley. A real alley. Which meant... _Am I in a city? A real city!?_ He had heard of cities before, but he had never seen one. All he had ever known was that one island.

Eager, but trying not to appear so, Kiru hurried to the end of the alley and looked around the corner to the right. There before him was obviously a main square. Stepping forward to get a better view, he turned in circles, taking it all in. The shops with signs clearing identifying them. The restaurant with tables sitting out front, each adorned with a burning candle. The people milling about, seemingly unconcerned by his presence. The large door with a sign that he couldn't quite read. A similar door labeled "Traverse Town." Kiru had to work to keep his jaw from dropping.

But what surprised him most was how familiar this all was to him. The same as another city he had only seen in his dreams. A city that Ansem had shown him. _The parallel of Crossroads City...Traverse Town._

"Hey kid, you all right?"

The voice jerked Kiru from his reverie, and he looked up to see a man approaching him. The man wore a white T-shirt under a black leather jacket, a holster at his waist over black jeans with black gloves on his hands. His spiky brown hair hung past his shoulders, and he had a fierceness in his eyes that marked him out to Kiru as a fighter of some kind. Unsure how to reply, Kiru settled for, "Fine."

The man narrowed his eyes, studying him. Kiru stood still, trying to take his scrutiny without looking too defiant. "Did you just arrive?"

Kiru was faced with a choice now. Should he reveal himself as being from another world or try to lie his way through this man? What did he know about this city that he could use to make it sound like he lived here? _I don't know enough for him to believe me. But Ansem's Report said that Traverse Town was a refuge for survivors whose worlds were destroyed. Since the Heartless are back, maybe I can convince himself that I'm just another refugee._ "Yeah."

The man nodded as if Kiru had just confirmed something he had already expected. He opened his mouth to say something more, but was interrupted by a popping noise. Heartless appeared behind the man--a different type of Heartless from those on Destiny Islands. These had humanoid forms, their bodies navy blue and their faces black shadows containing only sinister yellow eyes. They had large silver helmets on their heads, the tips hanging far down their backs as if made of liquid instead of metal, and their long arms ended in claws that reached out in eagerness. Their chests were marked by a large crest: a black heart with the bottom exploded into a tail, outlined in red with a thorny red X across it.

Kiru called the Keyblades to his hands and lunged forward. The man spun around and drew his own weapon. The sight of it distracted Kiru for an instant--it appeared to be a sword with the handle of a gun in place of its hilt--but he quickly turned his attention back to his enemies. One was striking at him already, and he swung at it with Iraki's Keyblade, stopping its attack but having little other effect. Another came at him from his right, and he swung at that with the golden Keyblade. The Heartless staggered, wounded but not destroyed. However, this proved that the golden Keyblade was more effective than the white one against this type of Heartless as well.

Kiru continued fending off the Heartless. A small group seemed to have converged on him, and he guessed that the rest had converged on the other man in much the same manner. Although the golden Keyblade could injure the Heartless, it was even less effective on these than it had been on the shadows. Kiru gritted his teeth as the Heartless pressed even closer to him, attacking viciously with their claws, and he wished again that he could use magic spells. Maybe they would have more effect than physical attacks against these strange creatures. But using magic was just too much of a risk.

"POWER!" Kiru heard his companion cry. Through the crowd of Heartless, Kiru was able to make out his blade. It seemed to have grown larger and now glowed with an eerie light. But Kiru could see enough of the man's slashes to know that even the enhanced weapon was not having much effect on the Heartless. Not enough to keep them away from him.

And Kiru was about to be slashed to death himself. Claws raked across him on all sides. He swung at the creatures in vain, the blows from Iraki's Keyblade hardly fazing them. He noticed dimly that the blows from the golden Keyblade seemed to be inuring them more now. Only four strokes destroyed one, whereas it had taken six or seven at the beginning of the battle. But that was little comfort to him as a Heartless raked its claws across his face. _I have to use a magic spell. But a weak spell would never get them off of me! And if I use a strong spell and it backfires..._

The white Keyblade was jerked from his hand, clattering to the stone pavement. Claws slashed at his other arm, trying to pin it to his side. He struck out viciously with the Keyblade, but the Heartless after his arm was pressing hard against it, restricting his movements. He was defenseless. _There has to be something I can do. Please, there has to be some way out of this. There has to be a way!_

Golden light flared around Kiru, and he felt the Heartless drop away. The light cleared to reveal that every Heartless near him was gone, although a group still crowded around the other man. Kiru had no time to think about the meaning of what had happened. He reached down and picked up Iraki's Keyblade, then charged toward the Heartless, slashing viciously with both Keyblades at once. He could still see the man's glowing sword in the middle of the swarm, slowly taking down the Heartless nearest to him. Between the two of them they could take out the rest. He was sure of it.

An inexplicable joy ran through Kiru as he cut into the small group of Heartless. Three strokes and one dissolved into darkness. Three more strokes and another was gone. Claws raked at his sides, but he ignored them. The Golden Keyblade still glowed slightly with that light that had saved him. He could feel it pulsing in his hand.

And in moments he and the man met, all the Heartless gone. The man allowed his weapon to shrink back to its original size and placed it in its holster. He was staring in surprise at Kiru. "You're...a Keyblade master."

Kiru's eyes widened in shock. Keyblade master? Him? He was Riku's parallel, not Sora's. _But why else would the Keyblade come to me? And why was there an explosion of light when I needed it just now? How can the Keyblade be saving me unless I'm making it do it? I must be using the Keyblade. I must be a Keyblade master!_ "Yes. I am," Kiru stated with more certainty than he felt, but he wasn't going to be nervous or scared in front of this man. This man was a fighter himself, just as Kiru had expected. And if Kiru wanted his help, he'd have to convince him that he knew what he was doing.

"Then you've come to find the Keyholes? To seal the worlds and save them from the Heartless?"

"I..." Kiru trailed off to keep his voice from wavering. He knew what the man meant of course. He thought that Kiru was there to do what Sora had done four years ago. _But that's not what I'm here for! I have to get Iraki's Keyblade to Kairi. Nothing else matters!_ "Yes, that's exactly what I'm here for." Kiru swallowed. The lie was out now; he couldn't take it back. _But what better way to find Kairi than traveling to other worlds? And it wouldn't harm my mission to save a few worlds on the way, would it?_

The man nodded. "Come with me. I'll help you get some supplies so you can start your journey." He started to walk away from Kiru, but, before Kiru could even begin to follow, the man hesitated and turned back to him. "Thank you," the man stated.

Kiru knew how much that statement meant, coming from a man like him. "I'll do the best that I can," he promised. Ansem had sent him to find Kairi, but the worlds were important, too. And now he'd made a promise to save them. It didn't have to be a lie, did it? _I will find Kairi. But that doesn't mean that I can't help protect the worlds from darkness. I just hope that I get this Keyblade to her in time. Whatever path I take, that has to be done. Or I'll be saving worlds just to watch them be destroyed._


	7. Secrets of the Mirror

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 7: Secrets of the Mirror**

Sora stepped into the Green Room behind Tidus and Yuna, ignoring the fact that Aros hung back in the doorway. He was too excited to mind Aros now.

"You're back!" cried a bubbly female voice. A girl seemingly in her late teens or early twenties bounded up to Tidus and Yuna, grabbing Yuna's hands and looking quite relieved. She had blond hair piled on top of her head and bright green eyes. Black goggles hung around her neck, and she wore a tight, sleeveless red top and green shorts. "We were starting to get worried about you, Yunie! You two should have been back a while ago."

"I'm sorry to worry you," Yuna replied, "But we ran into some trouble on the way."

The girl seemed to notice the boys standing beyond Yuna for the first time. She grinned. "And you brought it with you, too!"

Aros snorted, but Sora smiled. This girl seemed kind. And he could certainly do with a little humor now that the Heartless were back.

"This is Sora and Aros," Tidus began, "And this is Rikku and Auron"--he motioned to the hyper girl and a man standing in the shadows at the back of the room--"Auron, Sora's fought the Heartless before, and...well...he has a special weapon." Tidus scratched his head, seemingly unsure how to explain about the Keyblade and what he had seen it do. He shot a glance at Sora as if asking him for help.

Sora, however, was too busy staring at the man to notice. He was an older man with salt and pepper hair and an apparently scruffy chin, although a large collar obscured part of his face. He wore a long trenchcoat with his right arm through the sleeve and the left sleeve hanging limply, his left arm instead resting within the coat as if the coat were a sling. He wore dark glasses just far enough down his nose for him to peer over the top of them, and his face was stern. He looked like someone who had been through too much in his life. Despite his age, however, he also had a hard look, evidence of strength earned through experience. He was both overwhelming and reassuring to be near. A dangerous figure, but at the same time a solid rock that could not be shaken.

"You have a 'special' weapon against the Heartless?" Auron questioned, his voice as hard as his appearance. He stepped out of the shadows and up to Sora.

His words jerked Sora back to reality. He nodded and summoned the Keyblade. "This," he began, "is the Keyblade. It can be used to fight the Heartless, and it can also lock worlds. What I mean is...well..." Sora fumbled for words to describe it. On top of the fact that Tidus, Yuna, and maybe Aros--it was hard to say where he was concerned--hadn't understood what sealing a world was even witnessing it firsthand, Auron's somewhat cold and aloof manner had him flustered. And Rikku was overtly staring at him, eyes wide, looking oddly excited about his weapon, which made him even more nervous. "Each world has a Keyhole. Locking the Keyhole protects the heart of the world so that the Heartless cannot destroy it. That's...basically what the Keyblade does."

Auron raised an eyebrow and reached out his hand for the Keyblade. Sora did not even consider trying to keep it from him. He heard Aros snort again from the doorway as he offered the Keyblade to Auron without resistance.

Auron turned the Keyblade over in his hands, studying it for a moment before giving it back to Sora. "Where did you find this weapon?" he asked.

"It appeared four years ago when the Heartless first attacked my world."

"Four years ago?" Rikku declared. Her eyes, if possible, grew even wider.

Sora frowned. Had something significant happened to these people four years ago, too? "Yes. A man named Ansem opened the door to the darkness, and the Heartless attacked all the worlds-" Sora paused, realizing what he was saying, but knew that he had to finish now, "all the worlds on my side of the mirror."

Auron smirked. "So you are the Keyblade Master from the other side of the mirror that Ansem spent so much time studying."

Sora's jaw dropped, and he was pretty sure that at least Tidus's did as well. Rikku's certainly did. And her look of excitement was growing. If her eyes could have gotten any wider, they would have. "You know about me?"

"Ansem's Report," Aros mumbled.

"And you are one of the children from Fate Isles," Auron stated to Aros. It was not a question. He knew. Aros scowled, crossing his arms across his chest and looking away from Auron.

"I was hoping," Sora broke in nervously. On top of being an intimidating figure, Auron seemed to know Ansem well. This meant both that Auron probably had the information on Ansem that Sora was looking for and that Auron might be working with Ansem, which, considering what Sora suspected about Ansem, was certainly not a happy prospect. He swallowed hard and began again. "I was hoping you could give me some information about Ansem."

Auron smirked again. "You want to know if he's anything like the Ansem you fought."

Sora nodded, even though Auron obviously hadn't meant it as a question.

"Because of what Ansem has told me, I can't say very much about him."

Sora's face fell. He had thought that he was finally going to get some real answers. And why couldn't Auron tell him? "You won't tell me anything then?" He used "won't" instead of "can't" on purpose. The wry smile on Auron's face revealed that he had picked up on the detail. "I cannot tell you about Ansem himself," he replied, "But I can give you other information that I'm sure you'll be glad to have."

Sora perked back up at that. "What can you tell me?"

Auron turned his attention back to Aros, still standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. "Tidus, invite our other guest inside and close the door. I have a very old story to tell. About the mirror, Kingdom Hearts, the doors to light and darkness, and the four Keyblades."

"Four?" Sora breathed.

Auron made no reply. Tidus stepped over to Aros, at a loss for what to say, but Aros stepped inside, keeping his arms crossed, and leaned against the wall next to the door before Tidus had even opened his mouth. So Tidus simply closed the door and walked back over to his place beside Yuna. Rikku sat down at the table and propped her chin up on her arm, looking ready to hear a story.

Everyone grew silent, and all eyes locked on Auron as he began.

"Originally the two sides of the mirror were parallel--or, really opposite--universes connected by Kingdom Hearts and the mirror. The mirror was sealed, and no one could pass through it. Both sides existed independently, but were at the same time connected. Everything on one side was the exact opposite of everything on the other.

"On the side of the door to the darkness, the door was sealed and the worlds were not connected. All of the worlds were awful places and all of the people evil.

"But on the side of the door to the light, the door was open and all of the worlds connected by a golden highway. They were beautiful places, and all of the people were good.

"Four keys were created in Kingdom Hearts, each with its own specific two purposes--one for light to preserve the balance of the universe and one for darkness to destroy the balance. The Silver Key's use for light, for example, is to seal the hearts of the worlds. The keys can also be used in conjunction with one another. As you know, Sora, the Silver and Golden Keys are both needed to reseal the door to the darkness.

"But the perfect balance between the two sides of the universe could not last. Every key had a chosen Keyblade Master, born with the power to use the key to its full potential. And every Keyblade Master existed on both sides of the mirror, one good, one evil. Everything fell apart when the dark Silver Keyblade Master managed to call the Silver Keyblade from Kingdom Hearts to himself. He didn't know that the strange pond that he was standing next to was the mirror or that he was calling the Keyblade, but his will to harm the universe was strong enough that he had been drawn to the mirror and had drawn the Keyblade to himself. With the Keyblade, he was able to unlock the mirror and travel to the other side of it. The balance of the universe was upset, and the door to the light was sealed. The worlds on the side of the light that had always been connected were now completely cut off--except by travel through the mirror. With the mirror unlocked, people could go back and forth across it as much as they desired. But the mirror was unreliable. No one knew what world they would emerge at on the other side of the mirror.

"It took many years before the problem was resolved. The details of the story of the Silver, Golden, and White Keyblade Masters who finally sealed the mirror has been lost in history. All that is known is that those three Keyblades were responsible.

"By that time, the balance between the two sides of the universe had been all but destroyed. Opposites living on the same side of the mirror brought rise to parallels because an opposite of one of them would appear on the other side of the mirror, making it a parallel of the other.

"The other major problem was that opposites were no longer different in every way. Good and evil now existed on both sides of the mirror. Opposites knew different people and had major events in their lives changed, so their personalities took different turns.

"The upset balance even changed the worlds themselves. It is said that the forces which created the universe tried to combat the problem by making all the worlds parallels, in hope that it would offset the personality differences between the people and make them all parallels as well. The forces reasoned that, with good and evil on both sides of the mirror, everything could no longer be opposite, but perhaps by making it all the same the universe would be balanced again.

"The experiment utterly failed. Both parallels and opposites continue to exist, and, in theory, so do 'false twins.' False twins are parallels who both exist on the same side of the mirror, either from birth or through crossing the mirror. They are a direct violation of what the universe is trying to accomplish. However, chances are small that any false twins do exist. The universe would react somehow if they did, and the false twins would surely be aware of each other's existence.

"Although the balance of the universe was unstable, the two sides of the mirror were separated again, and, over time, the universe began to adjust to the imbalance of good and evil. But now the mirror has been unsealed again, throwing off the universe's balance, connecting the worlds on both sides, and unsealing the door to the darkness."

The room was silent for a moment while Auron's words sunk in. Then Sora spoke in a small voice full of dread entirely unlike his optimistic personality. "Does that mean that, when I crossed the mirror, I connected the worlds and...unlocked the door to the darkness?"

Auron nodded solemnly. "By unsealing the mirror, you used the Silver Keyblade for its dark purpose and hurt the balance of the universe. You are the one who unlocked the door to the darkness."

"No..." Sora whispered, almost inaudibly. His breath caught in his throat. The Heartless had come to these worlds. They had destroyed Aros's home. For all he knew they could be attacking Kairi, or already have attacked her... And it was all his fault! He felt tears coming to his eyes and struggled to hold them back. He hardly knew these people. He couldn't let them see him cry. "I'm sorry," he whispered, a bit more loudly, and turned away from them all and toward the door. He hurried out just as the first tears fell.

* * *

Iraki had barely made it inside after Aros had moved out of the doorway and before Tidus had closed the door. She was somewhat thankful when Sora rushed out so quickly that he left the door wide open behind him, although at the same time she was concerned about how mentally distressed he was.

She didn't have much time to think about it. She moved toward the doorway to follow Sora out, and Aros almost collided with her. She had to jump backwards to avoid his touching her. He continued hurrying out of the room, seemingly unaware of her presence. She shot nervous glances at the other four in the room. Auron's gaze was trained directly on her. _He's spotted me,_ she realized, panicking. Auron simply nodded and smirked, saying nothing. Iraki scurried to the door before Tidus, Yuna, or Rikku tried to determine what he was looking at. However, Aros had taken the time to close the door behind him, putting Iraki in quite a quandary. She immediately began to panic. _I can't lose track of Sora! I can't!_ She considered throwing the door open and hoping that the others would assume it was the wind. _They've got to be too smart for that, and if they look at the doorway when I'm leaving, they might see me. But what else can I do? There is no open door!_

Iraki almost jumped out of her skin when she felt someone brush past her. Auron didn't stop or give any indication that he had bumped into someone, instead he simply continued to the door, opening it and stepping outside. He peered around for a second and came back in. Iraki took a step back, ready to dash out behind him and pray that when he closed the door it didn't hit her.

But Auron left the door hanging wide open. He moved back to his place across the room, his face expressionless. Iraki mouthed a quick "thank you" and rushed outside before someone else decided to close the door.

* * *

"Is something out there?" Rikku questioned, exasperated, when it became apparent that Auron wasn't going to explain why he'd gone out into the Hotel and left the door hanging open.

"No." Auron offered no further explanation.

"Shouldn't we follow them?" Tidus piped up. He kept adjusting his grip on his sword, obviously bothered by the fact that the four of them were just standing there when Sora and Aros had run outside.

"No."

"But-"

"Let his friend comfort him," Yuna broke in, putting a hand on Tidus's sword arm and effectively quelling his protests.

Tidus frowned, trying to decide what to say. He finally settled on, "If they don't come back soon, we should go look for them and make sure that guy didn't attack them again."

"They won't come back," Auron stated, his voice as emotionless as ever and his words just as cryptic.

"What do you mean 'they won't come back'!?" Tidus demanded, beginning to lose his patience, "If they're in danger, we should help them."

"NO." Auron's tone was final, the force in his voice even causing Tidus to take an involuntarily step back. Auron was quiet for a moment, and the tension hanging in the air was almost palpable as he tried to decide what he should reveal to the other three.

"Say something!" Rikku pleaded.

"Ansem told me a bit about Sora's fate. Our part in it has ended--at least for now."

Yuna nodded, accepting Auron's words even as Tidus opened his mouth to protest. Her hand on his arm managed to keep Tidus's temper in check. Rikku was frowning as well, but Yuna had accepted Auron's decision not to say any more, so Rikku decided not to open her mouth, either.

Tidus sighed and sat on the bed. "So, what do we do now?"

"Now we sleep. But starting tomorrow morning, we will go back out into the city and protect the people from the Heartless. That should be the easiest way to find the next one."

"Next what?" Yuna questioned and Tidus demanded in unison. Rikku simply glowered at Auron for being so cryptic.

Auron gave a small smile at the faces of the three of them, all so frustrated and confused but showing it in such different ways. "What else? The next Keyblade Master."


	8. Approaching Danger

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 8: Approaching Danger**

The dream began with Sora and Aros traveling alone in Crossroads City. It always began that way. Kiru had seen it many times by now, and he kept seeing it more and more frequently. He knew what that meant. His dream was about to come true.

Kiru had been having such "dreams" for as long as he could remember. He could always tell his dreams of the future from normal nightmares because they recurred, growing ever more frequent as the event he was seeing came closer to happening. Also, when he told others about the dreams, his voice would change. It became deeper, eerie. Ansem said it was because he was speaking prophecy. Ansem was the first person he'd ever met who had viewed his ability as a gift instead of a curse. _"Don't you see? Even though the events are inevitable, you're able to anticipate them and adjust your own actions accordingly."_

He'd never looked at it that way. He'd always felt like Cassandra, knowing what was going to happen but unable to do anything about it. Even so, Ansem did have a point. And his dreams had given him opportunities to warn Sora, both before his first adventure and before this one. _Only because Ansem helped me send dreams to him. And will my warnings really make any difference this time? I couldn't tell Sora anything...nothing about this..._

Kiru watched with growing horror as the dream unfolded before him. It was the same, always the same, but that didn't make it any less painful or emotional.

He watched the Keyblade disappear and a star-shaped object on a chain fall from Sora's hand to the ground. He watched Sora, his face twisted in pain, and his form fading into sparkles of light. And Sora's victorious attacker was gloating over him. Laughing.

The dream abruptly ended, and Kiru opened his eyes to find himself drenched in a cold sweat. "It's going to happen soon. Please, Sora, don't let your heart be destroyed. Please don't let everything we've fought for be for nothing."

Realizing he was speaking aloud, Kiru gave a start and looked around to make sure he was alone. He saw the sleeping bag next to him, Leon lying with his back to Kiru, and remembered that four other people were in the room, hopefully all of whom were still fast asleep. He sat up to get a better look, but Cloud, sleeping beyond Leon, had his back to him as well. Yuffie was sleeping on his other side, her face thankfully facing toward him, and her features softened by slumber. He was at the foot of the bed, however, and completely unable to see Aerith sleeping in it.

_Nothing I can do about it if they heard me anyway. And they'll probably just think I was having a nightmare._ He smiled bitterly. _If only that were the case. If it were just a nightmare, I wouldn't have to live through it so many times. I wouldn't have to know that it's going to come true._

"Kiru?" Aerith whispered from the bed above him, apparently noticing that he was sitting up.

"Yes?" he replied, a little apprehensive. Had she heard what he had said? And had he said anything else while he was dreaming?

"It wasn't your voice, but it was you, wasn't it? Talking just now?"

Kiru cursed himself for his prophetic voice. He hadn't even considered that his mutterings had come out in that, but obviously they had. "What do you mean?" he questioned, trying to make himself sound groggy, "I was asleep until a second ago."

Aerith didn't say anything for a moment, finally stating, "Oh. I'm sorry." He knew she didn't believe him, but he didn't care. He couldn't tell her the truth. "That's all right. Good night." He lay back down on his pillow.

"Good night." Aerith shifted positions and grew silent, but he doubted that she was sleeping. More likely she was listening for him to say anything else in an odd voice, or at least lying awake wondering who he really was. _At least none of these people ever met Riku,_ he told himself. It was small comfort. None of them believed that he was from Destiny Islands. He hadn't expected they would--wouldn't they have heard of him from Sora?--but it was the only story he could tell that would give him an excuse for looking for Kairi. The only story other than the truth, anyway. But he couldn't tell strangers the truth. Other than Kairi, of course. Although she hadn't really seemed a stranger...

He tried to keep his mind from thoughts of Iraki, but gave up without much of a fight. It was comforting, somehow, to think of her. But painful, too. Because she was far away and maybe in danger. And maybe he would never see her again. But her memory still comforted him. It gave him something to hold on to.

_Flash._ A sudden shudder ran through Kiru's body as a bright light filled his vision. His mind seemed to be screaming to him. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. The bright light faded, but the scene he now saw was not the room in the Small House. It was blurry and indistinct, as if part of a dream. He saw a mural of a moon and stars, appearing to be on a wall in a damp cave or waterway. But the picture was fading somehow, disappearing. The colors became clear and transparent, the surface rippling like water. _The mirror,_ Kiru realized.

A figure began to emerge from the "mural" on the wall. Kiru gasped. The figure was dressed in loose garments, black as pitch so as to make it impossible to distinguish exactly what they were. A blindfold covered the figure's eyes. Silver hair in a jagged cut hung down just past his shoulders. Kiru knew that haircut and that hair. The face...everything about the figure. He was staring at himself!

The figure turned in Kiru's direction. As Kiru watched with growing alarm, the figure brought his head up. Despite the blindfold, Kiru could literally feel the figure's eyes on him. For a second, the two were still, their gazes locked on each other. Then, the figure smirked, and the vision faded away. Kiru found himself still lying in his sleeping bag in the Small House. But he could see the figure in his mind's eye, cloaked in shadow, his mouth twisted in a devious smirk.

* * *

"It's not really your fault, you know."

Sora cringed at the voice, but he couldn't turn to face Aros. Not with tears running down his cheeks. He squeezed Kairi's lucky charm tightly in his right hand. "It IS my fault. I just didn't mean to do it. I wish I hadn't."

"But you _have_ to go to the door to the light, and you couldn't do that without unsealing the mirror," Aros insisted. He was standing right behind Sora, but didn't walk around him, allowing Sora to keep his tear-stained face looking in the other direction.

"I know. And I know I can't just give up on Riku, but..."

"But you're afraid that _she's_ in danger, aren't you?"

Sora jerked his head toward Aros, now heedless of the tears glistening on his cheeks. "What do you...what do you know about Kairi?" He tried to keep her charm hidden in his fist, but the chain hanging down was a dead giveaway that he was holding something.

Aros smiled slightly. "Her name is Kairi? That's very pretty. All I know is that you mentioned her before and that she's very important to you." His eyes held an almost distant look, as if he were thinking, not of Kairi, but of someone he knew.

Sora, however, was too lost in his own thoughts to notice Aros's dreamy look. "I want to keep her safe," he declared, "Before...before Riku was sealed away, he told me to take care of her. I know that he'd want me to protect her. Even if it meant leaving him in there forever." Sora bit his lip, the thought disturbing him deeply. The feeling of the lucky charm in his hand was comforting, but it couldn't take away his fears and doubts.

"I read about Riku. He's the one who Ansem manipulated, right? And even after it all, he's still very important to you, isn't he?"

Sora nodded fervently, bringing his gaze up to meet Aros's. He had stopped crying by now, but tear tracks still ran down his cheeks, marring the brave face that he was putting on. "He's still my friend. I could never give up on my friend."

"And that's why you had to unlock the door to the darkness. To save your friend."

Sora looked down again, struggling to keep the tears from restarting. He knew the truth in Aros's words, but having Aros state so calmly that he had had to unlock the door to the darkness... Just the thought of what he had done tore at his heart. _I used the Keyblade for its dark purpose..._ "I just..." The tears broke loose again, but he kept his head down, hoping that somehow Aros wouldn't see them. He gave Kairi's lucky charm another squeeze. "I just wish that I could protect them both. Not one or the other."

Aros stepped up next to Sora and leaned down, trying to catch his lowered gaze. Sora brought his eyes up to meet Aros's, attempting to forget about his embarrassment at his tears. "You do what you have to do," Aros stated, "Your friends will understand, no matter what you do. If they are true friends." These last words were spoken in a slightly hardened tone, as if they reminded Aros of past pain.

"They are true friends. And I know they'll understand."

"Then there's nothing for you to be unhappy about. You have friends who care about you." The bitterness in Aros's voice was unmistakable now. Sora held Aros's gaze, his own tears stopping as he concentrated on soothing his companion's pain. After all, it was his nature to cheer others up. But he had to find out what had happened to Aros before he could do so. "Did...did your friends do something to hurt you?"

This time it was Aros who looked away. "They abandoned me."

"Your friends?"

Aros nodded, a slight smirk twisting his face. "I thought that he was a friend. And she..." He took a deep breath, his eyes now glistening.

He had succeeded in helping Sora completely forget about his own sadness--for the moment. Whether or not he had intended to reveal his own past, Sora's curiosity was now peaked. "What happened?"

Aros kept his gaze averted, but he still told his story, albeit a bit reluctantly. "Kiru, Iraki and I were a group ever since Iraki first came to Fate Isles. But she always preferred him to me. I knew it, but I still tried to get her attention. To compete with him. Even if I could never be to her what he was.

"Then, four years ago, Ansem first came. He showed us his then-unfinished report detailing the existence of other worlds and the other side of the mirror. Then he took Kiru with him somewhere. Kiru told us about it later. See, Kiru has this ability to see the future in his dreams. Using that, in combination with some ability of Ansem's, Kiru was able to send dreams to you, Sora--warnings about what was going to happen. After that, Kiru started having dreams about you becoming a Heartless. Ansem came back not long later and took Kiru again. Kiru came back, telling us all that had happened and how he had given you some final advice. Ansem stopped by one more time and gave us his full report so that all three of us would know everything that had happened on your adventure."

Sora resisted the urge to stop Aros there. Kiru had been the voice that he had heard before the Heartless had first come? Before he'd gone to fight Ansem once and for all? Kiru had been the one he'd dreamt of before starting this journey? _And he works for Ansem..._

"Ansem didn't return for four years. During that time, Kiru grew restless. Now that he knew other worlds existed, he wanted to see them. And all three of us began to wonder about Iraki's origins. She had just shown up on the island one day. We knew she had to be from another world. Over time, though, things started to go back to normal.

"Then Ansem came back about a month ago, and everything fell apart. That's when Ansem started in on the lies. About a new mission. How he needed us--us, a bunch of island children--to help the Keyblade Master open the door to the light. I didn't believe him. Iraki doubted him as well. But Kiru ate up every word. I told him that we had no reason to trust this man. That even though other worlds existed, it didn't mean Ansem's story about needing us was true. That Ansem could just as likely be trying to use us for the darkness as for the light. But Kiru wouldn't listen. He decided to agree to help Ansem.

"So Iraki...Iraki, who doubted Ansem almost as much as I did, agreed to help Ansem as well. Because Kiru trusted him. She left me alone and followed a pack of lies because Kiru believed them!"

For a long moment, neither or them said a word. Aros still did not turn back to Sora, but Sora knew that his eyes were filled with tears. He had heard the quiver in Aros's voice. "What happened to them?" he asked carefully.

"Late last night they went off somewhere with Ansem. Then you came, and then the Heartless, and then...then our island was destroyed. I don't even know if they were on the island, or if they had left for good last night and gone to some other world. I don't know anything. Not where they are now, not even if they're safe. Not even if she's safe."

The silence again was almost palpable. _It's my fault._ But this time Sora's mind was able to beat down those depressing thoughts. _He's trying to cheer me up when he's suffering so much himself. Kairi is always with me. Our hearts are connected. But Iraki... It's just like what happened to Riku, isn't it? He cared about Kairi so much, but her heart was connected to mine, not his. What Aros's friends did to him would have been like...like Kairi and I taking the raft and leaving Riku. And what would I be like if Kairi had preferred Riku to me?_ "If we made it off the island, I'm sure they did, too."

Aros kept his eyes averted. "I hope so. I hope Iraki's okay. And...and I hope Kiru is, too."

Sora hesitated only a second, unsure of how Aros would react. Then he took a step toward him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll lock the door to the darkness, and everything will go back to the way it was. Your island. Your friends."

"Of course," Aros stated with more confidence than he could have been feeling, "I know that. That's why you can't dwell on what has happened. You have to get to the door to the light so that then you can seal the door to the darkness." Aros looked directly into Sora's eyes now. He was back to trying to help Sora through his troubles. Sora forced his eyes to stay dry and kept his gaze trained on Aros. If Aros could bear his own pain, then Sora would bear his as well. He had always smiled through his pain before. There was no reason that he couldn't do the same now. "Let's leave this world," Sora declared, "We still have to find out how to reveal the final Keyhole. And before we can seal it we have to get to it, and there are plenty of other worlds that we can seal on the way. But first we have to find a vehicle to travel between the worlds..."

"What do you mean? There's a road between the worlds on this side of the mirror."

"Oh, yeah!" Sora exclaimed, keeping his tone light through force of will. He was truly glad about the news, which helped him maintain his cheerful front. He did remember now that both Yuna and Auron had mentioned the road. It certainly made travel easier, although hopefully the worlds were closer together on this side of the mirror than they were on his side. "Then let's get to the World Exit!"

Aros nodded, an obviously forced grin on his face. "The sooner we start, the sooner this all ends."

* * *

"And then darkness engulfed the ground, and I fell into it, and I woke up here," Kairi finished. She was now sitting at a long table in a meeting room of the castle with Goofy, Donald, and even the queen and Daisy sitting around her.

"And you don't know what happened to that young man? Kiru?" Queen Minnie questioned, "Or that white Keyblade?"

Kairi shook her head. "After the Heartless surrounded me, I lost sight of him. Then the Heartless knocked the Keyblade away from me, and I fell through the darkness before I could try to find it."

"What do you think we should do, yer Majesty?" Goofy asked.

"If the Heartless are back, then the worlds are connected again. We can take the Gummi Ship and find Sora," Donald declared.

"But didn't Sora say he had to go alone?" Goofy protested.

"We've got to try to help him," Donald insisted.

"No," Minnie broke in, loudly, "You two HAVE to stay here."

Everyone turned to the queen, surprised at her firm decision.

"Mickey said that you would get separated and that Sora would have to find the door on his own. He told you to protect the kingdom, remember?"

Goofy nodded, understanding. "And above everything else, we've gotta trust the king."

Donald pouted a bit, but he obviously agreed as well.

Kairi let out a sudden cry of pain. All eyes turned to her in alarm. She was bending over the table, a hand clutching her chest--right over her heart.

"Kairi!?" "What happened?" "What's wrong?" "Are you okay?"

"Something..." Kairi choked out, "is after our heart!"

Everyone froze. Silence hung over the room as each person looked and listened for the unseen enemy.

"But there's nothing here!" Donald protested.

Kairi cried out again. "Sora...it's attacking Sora. Trying to steal our heart..." She let out a moan, her hand clutching her shirt even more tightly as if she could somehow keep her heart in that way.

Everyone surrounded Kairi, Daisy and Minnie trying to sooth her and Donald and Goofy standing behind, feeling useless. Donald even cast Curaga and Aeroga, hoping that, even though they probably wouldn't have any effect, maybe they would at least help her keep up her strength. After all, how could you protect someone from an enemy that wasn't even there?

And who was attacking Sora? Could he stop them? Or would both Sora and Kairi lose their hearts?

Kairi cried out again. "Sora!"

* * *

Aros stopped short. "Did you hear that?"

Sora stopped a few feet ahead of him. They were almost to the World Exit. What was wrong now? "Hear what?"

"A noise. That way." Aros gestured off to the left. Sora would have dismissed it as just the sounds of the city, but then he realized that they were right beside the entry to the alley where the strange figure had attacked him. Sora listened hard, but heard nothing. "Are you sure you heard something?"

"Yes, I-" Aros cut himself off. This time they both heard the soft metallic clang. "Do you think the guy who attacked you has come back?" Aros whispered.

"Let's find out," Sora replied. The usual mix of excitement and dread welled up within him. He grinned, trying to concentrate on his eagerness to meet this strange opponent instead of on his fear. Aros grinned back. The gesture was reassuring. Together the two dashed around the corner, ready to face whatever awaited them.

Sora never suspected the trap that lay around that corner, just waiting for him to spring it.


	9. The Black Keyblade Master

_The song has been removed from this chapter, per FFN's policy. The original version is still available through e-mail request. (It's much better with the song!)_

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 9: The Black Keyblade Master**

Kiru awoke in a cold sweat. He had had the dream of Sora again--twice in the same night. That had never happened before. Ever.

_What does it mean? Am I having the dream so often because it's such a significant event? Or because it's just about to happen? Is happening? Just happened?_ Kiru shuddered. He wanted nothing more than to prevent that dream from coming true, but he knew that was impossible. His dreams of the future always came true. No matter what he or anyone else did to stop them.

And what about that other dream, with the blindfolded young man identical to him? That couldn't have been Riku, could it? _Riku regained his heart and was trapped behind the door to the darkness. And that guy... I don't think he had a heart. But where was that place I saw him?_ "A waterway with a large mural of a moon and stars..."

"You've been to the Secret Waterway?"

Kiru gave a start. He had spoken aloud unintentionally again. But maybe this time it was a good thing. He sat up and turned toward Yuffie, who was standing over him. "What Secret Waterway?"

Yuffie frowned. "What do you mean by that? You just described it!"

"So that's what it's called," Kiru mused, trying to sound as if he really did know what he was talking about. He had another decision to make now: admit to these people about his dream or pretend that he had stumbled upon the Waterway earlier or had appeared there when he first came to this world. _I made a promise to help seal the worlds. If I just run off now... I think...I think I might have to trust these people. Because of my promise._ "I need to talk. To all of you." Looking around, he realized that the room was deserted other than himself and Yuffie.

"The others are all outside. They sent me in to see if you were awake yet. They want to talk to you, too."

Kiru nodded and stood, smoothing his clothing slightly. He picked up his black, hooded coat and pulled it on before following Yuffie out of the Small House.

Aerith, Cloud, and Leon were all gathered just outside of the house. They were talking amongst themselves, but, hearing Yuffie and Kiru's approach, stopped abruptly. "Good morning," Aerith greeted, smiling sweetly, "Did you sleep well?"

Kiru frowned, knowing the hidden meaning in her words. Aerith just looked at him with her innocent gaze. Cloud stood beside her, and he folded his arms across his chest, waiting for Kiru to answer.

Kiru took a deep breath. He glanced at Leon, but on second thought turned his gaze back to Aerith. Somehow her gentle manner and open expression made her easier to trust. But it was hard for him to get the words out. "That's...that's what I wanted to talk about."

Aerith nodded. Cloud stayed as unreadable as ever. A glance at Yuffie showed that her eyes had narrowed, and even Leon took a step toward Kiru. "Has something happened?"

"I had a dream," Kiru began, then stopped. He frowned. "No, a vision. Of a young man..." He stopped again. _I can't say identical to me. Not without having to explain everything._ He took another deep breath. Everyone was staring at him, waiting more or less patiently, depending on their personality. _Maybe I have no other choice._ "I think...I think I'd better start over. From the beginning. I'm sorry I didn't say it before, but I wasn't sure if I could trust you. Now...I think I'm ready to. I need to tell you who I really am."

No one looked surprised. He knew they hadn't believed his story about being from Destiny Islands. He smiled slightly. _At least they aren't blaming me for lying._ "I'm not really from Destiny Islands. I'm from an island just like it. Exactly like it. Because my island is the same island. But on the other side of the mirror."

Kiru continued with his description before anyone could interrupt him. It was hard enough for him to give this explanation. If he stopped, he wasn't sure he would be able to begin again. He made his explanation as short as he could, telling them about the mirror, meeting Ansem and reading his report, coming to this side of the mirror to deliver a Keyblade to Kairi, the Heartless attack on Destiny Islands, and the appearance of the golden Keyblade. He finished with his vision of the young man identical to him coming out of the mirror in the Secret Waterway. "I'd never seen this waterway before that, and Yuffie said I described it perfectly. So I think this vision was of something that was really happening."

"Let me guess," Leon broke in, "You want to find this guy?"

Kiru nodded. "I think this guy was...another me. From another world. But he looked... I don't think he had a heart. So I need to go to the Secret Waterway. Alone."

Leon nodded back. "Understood."

"If anything happens," Aerith piped up, "and you ever need our help again, we'd be happy to give it."

Kiru frowned. That was it? No protests? No complaints?

"You mean you're not coming back!?" Yuffie cried.

"I don't know. It depends on what happens when I meet this guy," Kiru answered truthfully, "But thank you for all your help. I won't forget it."

"With Sora gone, you are our new hope against the Heartless. Of course we will help you," Leon stated.

These people were being so nice to him! And after he had lied and admitted not trusting them? Now he really needed to keep his promise. He certainly owed them that. "I will do everything I can to defeat the Heartless. And don't worry. Wherever Sora is, I'm sure that he's fighting, too." Kiru tried to keep his expression optimistic, but that last sentence had been a mistake. It brought memories of his dream to mind. _It wasn't a lie. I know Sora would never stop fighting, no matter what happened to him._

"I'll take you to the waterway," Cloud stated. Those were the first words Kiru had heard from him. It was good to know that such an outwardly immovable figure was on his side as well. "Thank you," he replied.

"We'll go whenever you're ready."

Aerith turned toward Cloud, and Kiru thought he saw her mouth a thank you to him as well. She turned back to Kiru. "Good-bye for now. Remember that you can come back if you ever need or want to."

"Bye, Kiru!" Yuffie declared, already waving, but frowning too, seemingly not happy that he was leaving.

"Good-bye. And good luck," Leon stated.

"Good-bye. Thank you again."

Cloud turned and headed out the door to the Second District. Kiru turned and followed, glancing back to see Yuffie and Aerith waving and Leon standing aloof, but with a slight smile on his face. _I'm glad that I trusted them. They're such nice people. I wonder if I'll ever see them again?_

The strange young man's smirking face came to Kiru's mind, interrupting his thoughts. _I should be more worried about what I'm getting myself into now._ As he stepped into the Second District, Kiru felt fear welling up inside him. _Another me but without a heart. Meeting him will be an experience like no other..._

* * *

The alley was filled to the brim with soldiers. Sora cut right into the thick of them with his Keyblade, Aros doing the same right behind him. The Heartless rushed around the two of them, surrounding them in an instant. Sora couldn't help thinking that this was oddly reminiscent of their battle against the shadows on Fate Isles--except soldiers were stronger than shadows.

One second Sora and Aros were fighting fiercely side by side, the next Aros's feet were swept out of under him and he fell, disappearing beneath the wave of Heartless.

"Aros!" Sora cried. He tried to spot Aros among the dark figures, but couldn't catch so much as a glimpse. His search, however, did distract him enough to give the soldiers an opportunity to attack him, raking his sides with their sharp claws and striving to pull him down as well. "Graviga!" Sora shouted, struggling to keep his footing amidst the sea of foes. The spell took care of some of the closest soldiers, but more immediately took the place of those he had destroyed. _Why are there so many Heartless in this alley? There are no people here, and I've already sealed the world!_ "Graviga!" _If I can cut through enough of them, maybe I can spot Aros._ "Aros, where are you!?" Still no reply. _Why isn't he using a spell to defend himself? He didn't get knocked unconscious, did he?_

There were popping noises as more Heartless appeared. Sora looked up to see a group of enhanced dark balls floating above him, larger than they used to be, their yellow eyes slanted in hatred and their sinuous arms even longer and ending in wickedly sharp claws at least a few inches long. The dark balls converged on him, and Sora reached up above his head, struggling with the Keyblade to keep them out of his face. "Graviga!" The spell took out a number of soldiers, but only the two closest dark balls. He couldn't help but think how foolish he and Aros had been to dive into such a large quantity of Heartless.

A soldier jumped him from behind, tackling him and sending him sprawling to the ground. Sora tossed his body onto his side, trying to throw off the soldier. It simply dug its claws into his back to hold on. Sora hissed in pain. And suddenly more Heartless were on top of him. "GRAVIGA!!" The Heartless on top of him were all taken out, but, before he could even begin to stand, a whole new group was on him. Now he was the one buried in a swarm of soldiers. _If I cast any more spells, I won't even have enough energy left to heal myself. But what else can I do to get out of here?_

"Sora!?"

Soldiers were digging their claws into him on all sides. Even so, Sora froze. "Aros!?" he called hopefully, his voice smothered by the Heartless swarming over him.

"Sora, where are you?"

"Here!" Sora struggled to turn off his side, and he raised himself to his knees amidst the soldiers, slashing desperately with his Keyblade.

"I can't find you!"

"I'm here!" He could feel the blood running down his back from the wound inflicted by the soldier that had tackled him. Another soldier dug its claws into that same wound, making him cry out again.

"I'll get you out of there!" Aros declared.

Sora was dragged back down to the ground, Heartless hanging off him everywhere, raking him painfully with their claws. He kept slashing with the Keyblade, but he couldn't even see what he was aiming at anymore. "There are so many!" he cried.

"DISPERSE!" Aros shouted.

A torrential gust of wind came through the alley, blowing all the Heartless away and even sending Sora sprawling, holding tenaciously to the Keyblade with one hand and trying to grab onto something to keep himself from blowing away with the other. His body was finally slammed into the wall of a building, and he slid painfully to the ground, but still kept his fingers tight around the hilt of the Keyblade. He opened his eyes to see Aros standing in the center of the now-deserted alley, Keyblade still raised. Aros lowered the Keyblade, looking both shocked and exhausted, panting and hunching over slightly. For a moment he seemed completely unaware of his surroundings. Then his eyes locked on Sora, and he ran toward him. "Are you okay?"

"Curaga!" Sora felt the healing coolness pour through his body. He pulled himself to his feet, his aches now gone and his wounds no longer bleeding. "Aros, what did you do to the Heartless?"

Aros didn't reply, but instead walked right up to Sora, looking down at his clothing. "You're bleeding..."

"Not anymore. I healed the wounds."

"Good."

Sora had no chance to react, not even to begin to raise his Keyblade. Aros plunged his black Keyblade into Sora's chest. Sora cried out as pain filled his body. A cold chill flooded him, and a force that felt like freezing fingers squeezed his heart and _pulled_.

"Ar...os...?" Sora choked out. The world was going dark. His heart was being taken from his body...

And Aros began to laugh. His entire demeanor changed in an instant. His eyes narrowed, and his expression turned to one of triumph and scorn. "You're such a fool! Couldn't you tell? Didn't you even suspect?"

Sora fell back against the wall, his knees beginning to give out. _Not my heart... I have to hold onto my heart... Why is he doing this?_

"I'm not your parallel, Sora! I'm your opposite! And do you know why all those Heartless left? Because I am the one controlling them!"

"No..." The pain and the cold were unbearable. Sora's knees gave out completely, and Aros was now holding him up, hanging off the end of the Black Keyblade. Even so, Sora kept his grip on his Keyblade.

_Aros wanted it...can't let him have it._

With his other hand, he groped for his pocket, reaching in and pulling out Kairi's lucky charm.

_I can't...give in... I have to keep my promise... I have to...open the door to the light...seal the door to the darkness... Please...Kairi, give me strength! I can't give in!_ The cold fingers had his heart in a death grip. They were pulling so hard... It took so much energy to hold on...

"It's useless to struggle, you know. I can wait here all night for you to give up." With Sora pinned between his Keyblade and the wall, Aros only had to give the Keyblade a little push to move it deeper within Sora and renew his cries of pain as new agony filled his body and the cold fingers pulled even harder.

This time he heard a second set of screams. _Kairi!?_

_Sora...it's attacking Sora. Trying to steal our heart..._

_Kairi!_

_Sora! Don't let them...have it! Don't let them...do that to you...again!_ The strain was obvious in her voice, as if she, too, were in pain.

_Her heart is connected to mine,_ Sora realized, _Her heart is being taken, too!_

He couldn't let that happen. He would keep fighting forever to keep that from happening. _But what if she gives out before I do?_

Sora now knew what he needed to do. If he gave in first, Kairi's heart would be safe. Aros couldn't reach her except through him.

_"Your heart must survive. No matter what happens to you." That's what the figure in my dream said. This is what he was warning me about. I have to fall to the darkness!_ He tightened his grip on Kairi's lucky charm. _But my heart has to survive. Please, let this last wish be granted. I have no other choice._

Squeezing Kairi's lucky charm with all his might, Sora stopped resisting against the cold fingers. He surrendered himself completely to the darkness, letting his heart be pulled from his body, hoping that Kairi would now be safe, and using the last of his energy to try to grant his last wish. _Good-bye, Kairi. I'm sorry..._

The cold and pain stopped his thoughts. The Keyblade disappeared, and the lucky charm fell from his hand. The world faded to darkness. The last thing Sora was aware of before completely falling into the void of darkness was Aros's laughing. Aros had won. Sora was lost in the darkness.


	10. The Aftermath

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 10: The Aftermath**

Cloud jumped down from the Hotel balcony, and Kiru followed. There was a popping noise, and suddenly a group of Heartless was in front of them. These were another new type of Heartless: floating black balls with slanted eyes and long, sinuous arms ending in wickedly sharp claws.

Cloud drew his enormous sword and dove right into the Heartless. Kiru summoned the two Keyblades and joined the fray as well. The white Keyblade had little effect on the Heartless. The Golden Keyblade, although it didn't work very well at first, grew stronger with each swing. Kiru could feel the power inside of it and inside of him. He could feel the ability to control the power of the Keyblade. The ability to create the explosion of light that would destroy all the Heartless in the vicinity. _I can't waste that sort of energy now. I don't know what I'll find when I reach the Secret Waterway._

It only took Cloud and Kiru a moment to take out all the Heartless. Cloud sheathed his sword, but, before Kiru had allowed the Keyblades to disappear, Cloud broke in, "We're almost there. You'll want to keep your weapons drawn."

"How far is it?"

Cloud gestured to the waterway in front of them clearly labeled with warning signs. "Right through there. I'll leave you now. If any more Heartless appear, I'm sure you can handle them." Cloud's tone gave no indication of his thoughts, but Kiru knew a compliment when he heard one. Kiru grinned. "Thank you."

"Good luck."

Kiru jumped down from the ledge into the shallow water that ran into a dark passage. He paused and entered the waterway slowly, trying not to splash too much in case the blindfolded young man really was there waiting for him.

The Secret Waterway was a large, cavernous room with a marshy area to stand on and a mural of a moon and stars on one wall. He approached the mural cautiously. It looked completely solid, but he knew that he had seen the mirror in it. _Was my vision really just a dream after all?_

Kiru reached out his hand and touched the mural. His hand went into it as if the mural were water. Ripples began to form from where he had touched and spread out across the surface, the entire picture changing in the wake of the ripples until the moon and stars had faded away completely and the clear surface of the mirror was fully visible. Kiru pulled his hand back in alarm. "So, it is the mirror. Which means either that guy went back through it or he's on this world. Unless he has some vehicle to travel between the worlds... How can I find him?"

Standing that close to the mirror was nerve-wrecking. Who knew what would come through it at any second? Kiru turned his back on it. There was no point in staying here if the young man had already left. "So what do I do now?" He glanced back at the mirror. He wanted to get as far away from that as possible. "I'll go back into town. If that guy really did see me in the vision, then maybe he's looking for me, too."

So Kiru left the Secret Waterway, ready to wander around the city and to see more of it. He was still amazed by the sights. And at least this way he could defeat some more Heartless. Maybe find the Keyhole... _But can I really seal it? And didn't Sora seal this world already? Worlds don't unseal with the door to the darkness, do they?_

Kiru pushed those doubts away and headed out into Traverse Town. Alone. Completely unaware of the blindfolded figure who was following him.

* * *

"SORA!!" Kairi shrieked, "SORA NO!! NO!!"

She had taken her hand from her chest and now sat with her eyes squeezed shut, tears pouring down her cheeks. She was apparently out of physical danger, but, considering her emotional state, it was obvious that Sora had not fared as well. Everyone tried their best to console her, at the same time eager--and terrified--to find out what had happened. Had Sora really lost his heart? But what other explanation was there?

"He gave in," Kairi sobbed, "after he heard my voice. It must have been to protect my heart. He gave up his heart to save mine!" She grabbed her shirt over her heart again, frightening all those present, but her heart wasn't in danger anymore. It only hurt with an emptiness that she had never experienced before. "Our hearts aren't connected anymore. His heart is gone! Completely gone..."

"It isn't inside of you?" Goofy spoke up nervously. He didn't want to upset her further, but Sora's heart had to have gone somewhere. If it had just disappeared, that would mean that it had been devoured by the Heartless. And that couldn't possibly have happened.

"No. Inside I'm just empty. His heart isn't there anymore!" Kairi was no longer quite hysterical, but she was very close to it. Her voice resonated with terror and an immense loss. Tears poured down her cheeks, but she ignored them, too busy crying and sobbing to think about wiping them away. Too busy trying to comprehend the hole inside her that a moment ago had been the connection between her heart and Sora's.

"We'll find a way to bring him back again," Donald promised, although his voice betrayed his own doubts.

"Thank you," Kairi replied through her sobs. Even though she knew that he didn't believe his words. Even though she worried that she didn't really believe them either. _NO! We have to get him back. There has to be a way!_ Kairi clutched her shirt even more tightly. _I don't know how long I can keep going with this...void inside of me. If we can't get him back...I won't be able to live. Sora, where are you? We'll be able to save you, right? Right?_

But any solace she might have received from anyone was completely blotted out by the empty hole within her. "I'm kind of tired," Kairi lied, "Do you think you could take me to my-Sora's room?" _Sora's room? And even if he never comes back, will I keep calling it that? No...He will come back._

"Right away," Donald stated, giving her a little salute in a pathetic attempt to lift her spirits.

Minnie and Daisy each took one of Kairi's arms to help her up. She let them. Her whole body felt heavy, weighted, as if to accentuate the place in her chest where there was nothing.

"Let me take ya to yer room, Kairi," Goofy offered as Minnie and Daisy let go of her.

Kairi nodded. Goofy started off ahead of her, and she followed quietly. As they walked down the corridors of the castle, it seemed that Goofy was spending more time turned around watching her than watching where he was going, but Kairi knew that he was just worried about her. She gave a weak smile, but quickly dropped it, knowing that it must have looked more like a grimace by the worried frown that Goofy gave in return. _And even if I could manage a smile, Goofy wouldn't stop worrying about me. But it's not me they should be worrying about..._ She choked back a sob, hoping Goofy wouldn't notice that her eyes were glistening. _Sora..._ She tried to push thoughts of him from her mind. There was absolutely nothing she could do to help him. It made her feel so worthless. She loved him so much, and, when he'd needed her, she hadn't been able to save him. She had been the reason he'd given up!

A tear slipped down her cheek, and she attempted to brush it away inconspicuously. _I can't change what's happened. I just have to try to be strong so that...so that..._ So that what? What could she do? She didn't have a weapon. She didn't know how to fight. Last time, she'd let Sora leave her in Traverse Town because she would have been "in his way." _This time...I'll fight,_ Kairi promised herself.

"Kairi?"

Kairi looked up to see Goofy standing beside the open door to a room. "Oh. Thank you, Goofy. I'll just get some rest now."

Goofy nodded. Kairi stepped inside and watched Goofy's face, still gazing at her with concern, disappear as she closed the door. "I'll fight, too. Somehow...somehow I'll save you, Sora! Somehow..."

The empty hole in her heart made it hard for her to even hope that her words were true.

* * *

"No..." Iraki moaned. Out loud. But she didn't notice and neither did the other two present. Aros was too busy gloating, and Sora...

Sora had the Black Keyblade in his chest and was having his heart stolen. Sora, whose heart was the strongest of all, who had sealed the door to the darkness once before, who was supposed to open the door to the light.

Sora was becoming a Heartless.

_I can't let this happen!_ Iraki's heart screamed.

_You have to,_ replied her mind.

Kiru had warned her that bad things would happen to Sora. _But I never imagined that he meant this. Never ever. I can't stand aside and watch this. I can't!_ But even if she did jump in, what could she possibly do? She could count the number of spells she knew on one hand, and those were all on their lowest level. _Making Sora invisible will do no good when Aros is looking right at him, and he...he's already been stabbed. Cure and Aero can't possibly save him from this. And Thunder wouldn't even faze Aros._

Iraki knew only one other spell. _Maybe if I stop Sora, it will buy him some time! But even someone stopped can still be attacked and injured. What if stopping him stops his resistance and lets Aros steal his heart? But I'm a fighter. How can Kiru expect me to just stand here and watch this!?_

Iraki rushed forward. She wasn't sure what she was planning to do, maybe rip the Keyblade from Sora's chest as if that would reverse the damage already done, but Iraki knew that she absolutely had to do something.

She wasn't given the chance. Iraki skidded to a halt as right before her eyes it happened. Sora's heart floated out of his chest and disappeared. Iraki had to choke back a scream as Sora's body began to fade. This was everyone's ray of light, everyone's hope. And his body was dissolving into sparkles of light...

The Keyblade disappeared, and an object fell from Sora's hand. Iraki would have tried to get a better look at it, but she was distracted by the sudden explosion of light as the Silver Keyblade reappeared in _her_ hand. _What!?_ Iraki turned the Keyblade over in shock. The metal was cool, and it was definitely solid. This was almost as unbelievable as what had happened to Sora. And in its own way it was terrible as well. _If the Keyblade came to me, then his heart...his heart must really be gone._

Iraki's mind was racing. Everything was happening so fast, and none of it made any sense. _Did Ansem know somehow? Did he send me here so that the Keyblade would come to me? If he knew this was going to happen, why didn't he do anything to stop it? And Aros is controlling the Heartless? He betrayed Sora? How could he!? What's happened to him? It's not because...because of Kiru and I, is it? Why would Aros choose the darkness?_

"Where is it!?" Aros cried.

Iraki turned away from the Keyblade. Sora was gone now. A pendant lying on the ground was the only marker of where he had been standing. Aros stood over the pendant with the Black Keyblade still drawn, looking around him, his face darkened in anger. "Where is the Silver Keyblade!?"

_He's looking for the Keyblade... So that flash of light and the Keyblade itself are invisible? And Aros... He didn't stab Sora just to get the Keyblade! He wouldn't! But none of what he just did makes any sense. And the fact that he's searching for the Keyblade now proves it. Aros has given himself fully to the darkness..._ Iraki didn't want to believe it, but she found that it was her only option. Nothing else could possibly be true. This wasn't the Aros that she knew. _He's not the same person. Anything is possible. He's after the Keyblade, but it's in my hands now. So I have to keep it from him. I guess...it's the only thing I can do now that Sora's gone. Sora... But didn't Kiru tell me to keep following Sora even after bad things had happened? How can I when he's-_

Iraki's thoughts were interrupted by the popping noise of Heartless appearing. Except only one Heartless appeared--a shadow like the ones that had destroyed Fate Isles. Standing exactly where Sora had been standing, directly on top of the pendant.

Iraki gasped. _It couldn't be!_ She stared into the pools of yellow that were the Heartless's eyes and saw nothing. No emotion. _No. If it was Sora, there would be some sign._

The Heartless stood still except for a slight swaying of its body. Totally emotionless. Iraki imagined that any other shadow would look the same, although the only shadows she had ever seen had been attacking at the time. _It can't be Sora. He would look somehow different. Wouldn't he?_

"What did you do with the Silver Keyblade!?" Aros burst out, striking the Heartless with the Black Keyblade.

The Heartless scuttled backwards in its lopsided fashion, giving out a small yelp of pain. Aros pulled his arm back as if to strike again, but thought better of it and instead dismissed his Keyblade. "It should have gone to the person with the strongest heart here," he grumbled, "I'm the _only_ person with a heart here! So where is it? Could it have passed through a building to someone in the area? His heart is gone; it couldn't be with that."

The Heartless had straightened back to its typical slightly-hunched position. Iraki continued to stare at it in horror. _He talked to it like it was Sora. He talked to it like it was Sora! Is it? Please, no. Don't let it be..._

But that was what Kiru had meant, wasn't it? She could still follow Sora because he was still there. As a Heartless. _I have to follow him when he's like this..._ Iraki shuddered. This was a nightmare.

Aros turned toward the end of the alley and began to walk away. The Heartless didn't budge, and Aros turned back to it in irritation. "Well, come on!" The Heartless scurried up to him, and he kicked it viciously in the side. "The only thing you were good for was the Silver Keyblade. If I wasn't planning to gloat over you in front of your friends, I would just destroy you now. So you'd better stay in line!"

The Heartless didn't react. It didn't seem to understand. Aros make an exasperated noise and continued walking. The Heartless followed this time.

Iraki took a deep breath, clutching the Keyblade tightly in her hand. She began to follow as well, but something caught her eye. The pendant that Sora had left behind still lay on the pavement. It was star-shaped and obviously belonged to a girl. _Kairi, I bet. It must have been important to him. I can't just leave it._ Iraki picked up the pendant and, not knowing where else to put it, hung it around her neck under her shirt. _This is my pledge to you, Sora. I will keep this pendant safe until I can give it to Kairi or to you. And I will make sure your Keyblade stays out of Aros's hands. No matter what!_


	11. The Duel

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 11: The Duel**

Kiru wandered aimlessly about Traverse Town, completely at a loss as to where to go or what to do. Every once in a while a group of Heartless would appear and attack him, but they were always small groups and not too difficult for him to take care of. Especially not when he had the Golden Keyblade at his disposal. Destroying the Heartless was so easy that he even considered putting Iraki's Keyblade away. But he just couldn't let go of it, regardless of whether or not it was particularly useful. He was a little worried about how easily he was passing through the city, though. The group of Heartless that had attacked him when he'd first run into Leon had been much larger and fiercer than any of these groups.

It began to rain. At first it was just a drizzle, but in minutes it became a downpour. Puddles formed all over on the city streets. Kiru pulled up his hood but kept walking, splashing along his way. All he could think of was that he had to find the young man from his vision. He wouldn't stop walking until he'd found him.

A small group of shadows suddenly appeared, popping into existence all around Kiru. Kiru's eyes narrowed. That was odd. Usually the Heartless appeared in clusters before him--never before had they been surrounding him from the start. But he still had both Keyblades out, and he crouched down amongst the shadows, about to attack...

When he spotted a blindfolded figure standing on the roof of the tall building before him.

The shadows lunged for him, drawing Kiru's attention back to them. He lashed out with the two Keyblades, cutting through them with ease. In little more than an instant, Kiru was standing alone. He looked back up at the building. The blindfolded figure still stood atop it. Apparently he had heard the sounds of the battle because he moved toward the edge of the building, reached up, and removed his blindfold, allowing it to blow away in the wind. Bright aqua green eyes, seemingly glowing with an inner light, stared down at Kiru, locking onto his bright blue ones. "We finally meet," the figure stated, his voice eerie to Kiru's ears. Their two voices were identical. "I would have been here sooner, but I had to check up on Sora first."

_Sora._ Kiru was momentarily distracted from the young man, his dream flashing through his mind, remembering his fear that it was now reality. But this man hadn't been in it at all. "Where's Sora?" Kiru demanded.

"In darkness," the young man replied simply.

Kiru stiffened as if a blow had just been dealt to him. He tried to keep the emotion out of his face, but inside he was screaming, filled with shock, anger, and despair. _My dream came true! Sora is really gone!? How can he say that so calmly? What do I do now?_

"I hope you enjoyed your relatively Heartless-free morning in Traverse Town," the young man continued, unperturbed, "I don't control the Heartless, but most of them are good about fleeing when I'm around."

_So that's why there haven't been many Heartless. He's been frightening them away from me. Wait...he's been following me?_ "Who are you?"

The young man laughed. "I'm you."

"You're Riku, aren't you?"

"I am."

"And you've fallen back into darkness."

Riku smirked. "I gave myself back to the darkness."

"What do you want with me?"

Riku leapt from the building, landing on the pavement in front of Kiru.

The white Keyblade suddenly grew warm. Kiru almost dropped it in surprise. It was...pulsing.

Riku misinterpreted Kiru's expression. "You aren't afraid of me, are you?"

"Afraid of myself?"

"Your dark self."

"There's still light in you."

"I have no heart."

The white Keyblade was still pulsing. The Golden Keyblade wasn't reacting at all. _What is the white Keyblade doing? It's warm, and it's almost like it's...beating. Like a heart. A heart! Maybe if I..._ "Then let's have a duel. Two of the same person--one light and one dark. Let's see who wins."

"I don't have a weapon."

"Then have this one." Kiru hesitated for only an instant before offering the Golden Keyblade to Riku. It terrified him to do it. The white Keyblade seemed to have almost no offensive ability, and he knew how powerful the Golden Keyblade was. But the white Keyblade was still pulsing, and on top of that, he knew that he couldn't possibly give Iraki's Keyblade to anyone other than Kairi.

"You trust me with this?"

Kiru grinned. "Considering who you are, I suppose I can trust you about as much as I can trust myself."

Riku smirked. He accepted the Keyblade, and, as he took it from Kiru's hand, Kiru actually felt the power within it draining out. _Of course! Riku has no heart, so he can't use the true power of the Keyblade. Maybe I do have a chance after all._

"Shall we begin?"

Kiru switched the white Keyblade into his right hand. "Whenever you'd like to."

Riku lashed out with the Golden Keyblade. Kiru had expected that and deftly blocked the blow. The force of Riku's swing, however, bent his wrist backwards. The white Keyblade just didn't have the weight or strength that the Golden Keyblade did.

Riku pulled back, and Kiru tried to take a quick swipe at him, but Riku was easily able to block it, bending Kiru's wrist back again. Riku then jumped backward a step, giving himself the opportunity to pull far back with the Keyblade, jump forward, and take a vicious swing at Kiru.

Kiru blocked the swing, but had his arm flung backward by the force of the blow, almost losing his grip on the Keyblade. Riku's Keyblade struck him across the face, and Kiru staggered.

"I see why you've stayed with the light," Riku mocked. He waited, giving Kiru a chance to straighten and prepare himself before attacking again. Riku struck toward Kiru's chest, and Kiru blocked, but midswing Riku redirected his slash, catching the right side of Kiru's face again.

Kiru cried out slightly, quickly cutting himself off. _I won't give him the satisfaction of a yell._ He could feel blood running down his face now. _I'm better than this. I can at least defend myself!_ Kiru straightened, stepping into a defensive stance this time.

Riku smirked. "How do you think this will end if all you do is defend?"

"Don't underestimate me!"

"I'm sure you've given me reason not to."

Kiru smirked back. The white Keyblade was still pulsing. "Underestimate me, and I will give you a reason," he threatened.

"We'll see." Riku struck toward Kiru's face. Kiru flinched, moving the Keyblade to deflect the blow, but Riku again switched directions in midswing. This time Kiru was expecting it, and he deftly blocked the strike toward his chest. His wrist was bent backwards once again, but he was unharmed this time.

What followed was two extremely fast fighters used to outmaneuvering their opponents trying desperately to strike faster than one another. As long as Kiru concentrated on defending, Riku could not hit him with a heavy blow, so, to compensate for the equality in speed, Riku's swings became faster, lighter. This reduced the strain on Kiru's wrist, but it also made it harder for him to block in time. He soon had many small cuts across his face and a few on his shoulders, as well.

And even the lighter blows were trying on his wrist. Riku must have noticed this. He took an extra second and gave a hard swing. His suspicions were confirmed; Kiru's wrist could no longer hold up against a hard blow. The Keyblade flew from Kiru's grasp, and he caught Kiru across the face again, this time sending him sprawling backward toward where the white Keyblade had landed.

Kiru hit his head hard on the pavement. Blood was running down his forehead, and he wiped it away to keep it out of his eyes with one hand while using the other to get himself back up. He was slightly dizzy but tried to ignore it. The white Keyblade was off to his right and out of reach.

Riku began slowly advancing toward Kiru, the Golden Keyblade lowered. "Are you done yet? Or do you still have that surprise up your sleeve that you refuse to reveal?" He laughed.

Kiru was standing now, Riku only a foot or two away from him. He hated the thought of backing up--it was too much like running away--but he had to get the white Keyblade back. So he took a step back, just waiting for Riku to make a snide comment.

Riku stopped his advance. "Why not? You gave me a weapon. I'll let you retrieve yours. It's not like it'll make a difference anyway. But I'm sure you knew that already."

Kiru despised having to take the opportunities that Riku was offering, but he knew that he had no other choice. _And even if Riku is more talented than I am, it still doesn't make it right for him to win. Because this isn't the real Riku. And I can't help him if I lose._

Kiru slowly backed up, keeping his eyes locked on Riku. He glanced at the white Keyblade in order to reach down and pick it up, but turned quickly back to his opponent. Riku simply waited, smirking. It made Kiru's blood boil, but he couldn't help smirking back. They really were alike. And Kiru did have a surprise of his own. The white Keyblade was still pulsing. And this time he had a plan.

Kiru took an offensive stance. He almost laughed aloud when he realized that Riku's stance was exactly the same but quickly grew serious again. What he was about to do was very risky, and he knew it. He had to do it anyway.

Riku waited for a moment, apparently intending to let Kiru make the first move. Kiru inclined his head, signaling Riku to begin. This was one opportunity that he had no intention of accepting.

Riku didn't delay his attack any longer. He pulled back and gave a heavy swing, obviously hoping to knock the Keyblade right back out of Kiru's hand.

But Kiru didn't block the attack. Instead, he struck out simultaneously with the White Keyblade, embedding it in Riku's chest just as the Golden Keyblade struck him across the side of his head--right where a welt was already forming from his collision with the pavement. Riku let out a hiss. Kiru staggered, but held his balance, keeping the White Keyblade in Riku's chest. His head was spinning hard and pounding fiercely, but he ignored it, his eyes trained on Riku.

Riku stood frozen, his face twisted in pain. He was panting, eyes squeezed shut. "What...are you doing...to me?" he choked out, opening his eyes to glare at Kiru.

Kiru felt a sudden flash of pain in his heart. It began beating harder, pounding in his ears. Pounding in time to the pulsing of the White Keyblade. _Please work. Please let this work._ He knew he was not the White Keyblade Master--he wouldn't be the master of two Keyblades--but if he was the master of one Keyblade, it meant he could probably use the others somewhat. _And aren't our hearts the same? Maybe my heart can help. Maybe this can work..._

The White Keyblade began to glow, the light pulsing in time to Kiru's heartbeat. Riku's chest began to shine with the same pulsing glow--right over where his heart should be. Riku finally realized what Kiru was trying to do. "NOO!" he screamed.

Light exploded from Riku, the Keyblade, and even Kiru. It blinded them both, and they squeezed their eyes shut against the glare. Kiru felt the White Keyblade slip from his hand, and he heard both Keyblades clatter noisily to the ground. But he felt as if his body were frozen in place, the blinding light making it impossible to see what was happening.

And finally the light cleared. For a second Kiru and Riku simply stared at each other, both held immobile by that same invisible force. Then the force let them go, and Riku collapsed in a heap on the ground.

"Riku..." Kiru took a step forward, wanting to find out what had happened, what result his efforts had produced. But suddenly he was assaulted by a wave of pain and nausea, his body seeming to remember his wounds. He could feel the welt on the side of his head and the bleeding gashes all over his face. And his heart ached painfully, his body physically shaking with a weariness more intense than any he had ever experienced before. He was dizzy, exhausted, and still losing blood. Before Kiru could even take a look at Riku, his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.

* * *

_"Please work. Please let this work."_

The being floating in the darkness wondered dully at the voice, but it was very far away, so it paid it no mind.

_"And aren't our hearts the same? Maybe my heart can help. Maybe this can work..."_

The voice was still distant, but it seemed to be getting closer. The being continued to ignore it. To listen to it would require thought, and the darkness smothered all thoughts before they could even finish forming.

But suddenly the darkness was broken. A white light appeared in front of the being. It was pulsing. The being could hear it... It tried to ignore it, but the sound continued. Relentless...pounding... The light had created a hole in the darkness that had remained unbroken for so long.

The light flared, engulfing the being. The being was bombarded with images, memories, feelings. And then it knew what the light was. And what the being itself was. Who he was. _A heartbeat... My heartbeat. My heart!_

Riku allowed the light to fill him, and slowly he regained himself. His heart was restored, and, following the path of light that had opened before him, he began the slow fight out of the void of darkness and back to the light.


	12. False Twins

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 12: False Twins**

Kairi was floating in nothingness. Her first thought was that somehow things had gone dreadfully wrong and, despite Sora's sacrifice, she had lost her heart. Then she realized that she was still aware of herself. Hadn't Sora told her that when he'd lost his heart he had begun to forget who he was? _I wonder if he remembers now? Or if he's forgotten himself completely..._

She tried not to follow that line of thought. There were other things to worry about now, anyway. If she hadn't lost her heart, what was she doing in this nothingness?

"It's because the only dream I can create is nothingness."

Kairi jumped at the voice, spinning in the insubstantial nothingness in an attempt to spot its source. The voice was familiar...

"Do you know what world you're on?" The voice sounded systematic, like a scientist or even someone beginning a game of twenty questions, but at the same time held an undertone of desperation and worry.

"Who are you?" Kairi demanded. This voice was familiar in a vague sort of way, as if it belonged to someone she had only met once or twice before. At the same time, it made an impression on her mind, as if that person, even though she hardly knew him, had been someone important. Very important.

"I am an ally. I want to help you. But I need to know where you are first, so that I can come to you."

An ally? No, something didn't seem right about that. Her memory of the voice seemed somehow different. But this person sounded truly concerned. Should she answer his question? "I know you. What is your name?"

"It's not me you know. Please, if you will tell me where you are, I will come and explain everything."

"If you are an enemy, don't bother. They won't let you in the castle!" Kairi shuddered. The voice was bothering her. It was too kind. The tone seemed like it should be different. More sinister. It shouldn't sound like someone who cared about others. The voice was...

"Thank you."

"What!?" Kairi had been too distracted trying to think of who this was to realize what she had said. But now, when she thought back to her words, she knew that she had just given away that she was at the King's Castle. "Wait! Who are you?"

"You do not know me, but I assure you that I am a friend. We will meet shortly."

And with that last sentence it finally occurred to her who the voice belonged to. "Ansem!"

"We will meet shortly."

* * *

Riku opened his eyes to find himself lying on the pavement in Traverse Town. He sat up, noticing King Mickey's golden Keyblade at his side. "What?" He tried to remember what had happened and how he had gotten there. "I gave in to the darkness. Again..." Riku felt sick to his stomach at the memory. He couldn't believe that he had allowed himself to be manipulated again. But he had spent so long in the darkness, fighting. It had been so hard...unending... And Sora hadn't come. Four years had passed, and Sora hadn't come. That voice in the darkness had told him that Sora wouldn't come. It had said that he would be trapped there forever. He had listened to it for four years, fighting against it the whole time. And then he had gotten separated from King Mickey, and after four months completely alone in the darkness with only the voice as company... _I couldn't resist the voice any longer. I gave up. And I let my bitterness control me again..._

Riku forced thoughts of that time from his mind and tried instead to remember what had happened since and how he had gotten here. How had he escaped from the darkness? He had a heart again...

He looked around him, finally spotting the figure lying prone on the ground not more than a few feet away, a white Keyblade with a black handle beside him. "Who...?"

He remembered then. The mirror. His parallel. Following him. Dueling him. Being stabbed by him...

Riku pulled himself to his feet. His legs were a bit wobbly after his experience, but other than that he was fine. He rushed over to his parallel, kneeling beside him. Thankfully he could see the rhythmic motion of his chest that showed that he was both alive and breathing. But he was out cold, a huge welt on the side of his head, and bleeding from a number of wounds, most only cuts and scratches, but at least two more serious than that. "What have I done?"

He wished that he had learned some magic. Here was Kiru... _Kiru?_ Yes, that was his parallel's name. Someone had said it to him once. But he couldn't remember who. That didn't matter now. What mattered was that Kiru was lying bleeding before him, and he didn't know what he could do. _I have to get help. But where can I go in Traverse Town? And who would help...me?_

Riku looked down at his dark garments. He moved his gaze to the moon in the sky and had to turn away because it was too bright. His eyes had been used to complete darkness for too long, and now he didn't even have his blindfold to protect them. He remembered then that he had at least one other blindfold in his pocket. He fished it out and tied it around his head, keeping it a bit above his eyes so that it shaded them without obscuring his vision completely. The protection from the light was a relief.

But no one would help someone dressed as he was and who had to squint even at the dimmest of lights. More likely they would run away or attack him. _But I have to do something. I'm in Traverse Town. What do I know about this place?_

He thought back to his brief sojourn here four years ago when Maleficent was just beginning to manipulate him. _I saw Sora here. And I met his new friends..._

Riku could remember peering through the window of the house at Sora talking happily with his new companions. He could remember the jealousy welling up inside him. The feeling of worthlessness...

_No! I'm not that person anymore. I've been given a second chance. A third. This time I will protect my heart from the darkness. I can't allow myself to be jealous of Sora's other friends!_

When he had finished waging his inner battle, he brought his mind firmly back to his current dilemma. And, amazingly, he realized that he had already discovered the answer to his problem. _Sora's friends would help. But how do I get to them? I can't just leave Kiru lying here..._

Riku surveyed Kiru's wounds again. The only wounds not on his head were a few cuts and scratches on his neck and shoulders. Hopefully moving him wouldn't cause his condition to worsen. Riku knelt beside Kiru, about to grab his arms and heft him onto his back when he became aware of the two Keyblades still lying on the pavement. _I suppose I'll have to hold onto them for now._

The decision frightened Riku. Not because he was frightened of the Keyblades, but because he was frightened of the darkness that he knew still lurked within himself. As he looked at the Keyblades, he felt a longing spring up. He wanted them. No, he wanted their power. That was what frightened him most of all.

Riku picked up the White Keyblade first. It was a light weapon, and smooth. It didn't react at all to his touch. He remembered a heat and a pulsing light...but the weapon was now cold and still. _I guess that means my heart is restored. Good._ The fact that the Keyblade gave no response to his touch was comforting. It lessened his inner desire for its power slightly. Riku dismissed the White Keyblade, and it disappeared from his hand. The White Keyblade was truly in his possession now.

Then he turned his attention to the Golden Keyblade. He had used this Keyblade to fight. He knew it was strong...

Riku hesitated, not wanting to touch the Keyblade and at the same time longing to do so. But he would be stronger this time. He would not be corrupted by darkness. The Keyblade had power, yes, but its power could be used for good. This was not like the desire for the darkness's power that he had suffered from before--the desire that had driven him to allow Ansem to take possession of his body. Having the power of a Keyblade would not hurt his heart. In fact, maybe it would even help protect him from the darkness.

And Kiru was still lying near him, bleeding. Time was of the essence. Riku could not allow himself to hesitate. He reached down and picked up the Golden Keyblade.

It was warm in his hand. The sensation surprised him so much that he almost dropped the Keyblade. It hadn't felt like this before...

But he could feel it clearly. The warmth of the power within the blade. The feeling that it was somehow "right" in his hand. He had never felt this from a Keyblade--not when he had taken Sora's, or picked up the White Keyblade, or even when he had fought with this one. What was different now? _I have a heart. And this Keyblade...could it be? Could I be its master?_

He wanted to try the Keyblade. To test his theories, confirm his suspicions. The desire was so strong that he almost left to find some Heartless--but he remembered Kiru. Reluctantly, he dismissed the Golden Keyblade, feeling that wonderful sensation of power go with it. But the Golden Keyblade was still in his possession.

Riku took Kiru by the arms and hefted him onto his back, trying not to jar him too much. Kiru didn't make a sound. Riku knew that was more likely a bad sign than a good one.

Riku vaguely remembered the location of the house where Sora's friends had been. The problem was that he really didn't know where he was now. All he could remember was following Kiru. Probably he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going. And even if he had been paying attention, he didn't remember anymore.

Riku began to head down the street, walking as quickly as he could under the added weight, searching desperately for something, anything familiar. Kiru needed medical attention. Riku could feel blood from one of Kiru's head wounds beginning to run down his back.

As he passed through the city, he could see Heartless fleeing before him. Good. None of them were getting close enough to sense that he now had a heart. But didn't that also mean that the light in his heart was weak at best? _And why are they fleeing from me? I..._ He struggled to remember, and stopped in his tracks when it came to him. _The moment I escaped from the door to the darkness, I slaughtered every Heartless within my reach. They had smothered me in their darkness for four years. And it was my turn to pay them back..._ He shuddered at the memory. _It was Heartless, I killed, not humans. The Heartless deserved to die anyway._ But the thought of his rage, killing everything around him... Whether they were Heartless or not, it was still terrifying to remember.

Some Heartless didn't flee. Not all of them knew about the Heartless he had slaughtered when he'd first come out of the door to the darkness. He needed to kill them quickly. Kiru was still bleeding. He had no time to waste on memories.

Riku managed to get both of Kiru's wrists in one hand, hunching over slightly to compensate for the weight. He summoned the Golden Keyblade to his right hand. It was still warm, teeming with energy.

Riku advanced toward the Heartless as quickly as he could. The minute they sensed his heart, they came bounding toward him. It was just a small group of soldiers. Even with Kiru in one hand and his movements restricted by his burden, Riku had little trouble with them. He was raked by some claws, but suffered no serious wounds. And the Golden Keyblade destroyed the soldiers easily. Even though Riku didn't know how well the Keyblade would have worked on the Heartless when he didn't have a heart, he guessed that it wouldn't have been nearly as effective as it was now. He was using the true power of this Keyblade. As hard as it was for him to believe, he was this Keyblade's master.

Riku continued through Traverse Town, fighting off Heartless as necessary. Eventually he passed some signs, revealing that he was headed from the Fourth District to the Second. Somehow he didn't remember Traverse Town having four districts. But then again, that had been four years ago.

Four years ago... Hopefully Sora's friends were still in the same house. Riku hadn't seen a soul yet in the city, but that was probably because Heartless seemed to be roaming in this area.

Once he'd passed into the Second District, Riku found that he was easily able to make his way to the small house. His memory, thankfully, was sharp in this case. Lights were on inside the house, and through the window he could see people talking. At least some of them were definitely the same people he had seen before with Sora.

Riku shifted Kiru's wrists to one hand again and gave a hard knock on the door. A young woman with short, dark hair opened it almost immediately. She took one look at Riku, and her eyes widened. "Kiru!" Then she saw the figure slung over his back and gasped. "Twins..." she breathed. Probably by the clothing, she determined that Kiru was actually the one who was unconscious. "Bring Kiru to the bed," she instructed, "Aerith will heal him." She stepped out of the doorway, and Riku hurried past her, laying Kiru on the bed by the wall.

A woman with long, brown hair stepped up beside the bed. "Curaga," she whispered, and Kiru was bathed in green light. All of his lesser wounds disappeared completely. The bleeding seemed to stop, and even the welt on his head went down somewhat. He did not regain consciousness.

Riku felt a terrible dread welling up within him. He had inflicted all of Kiru's wounds. Kiru wasn't waking up. What if that meant that he...?

"He'll be fine," the woman who had to be Aerith stated, answering Riku's unspoken question, "I think he is more exhausted than anything."

"What happened to him?" Riku turned to the speaker--a blond man leaning against the wall beside him. His face was impassive, but his glowing blue eyes held a hard glint of suspicion within them.

"I..." Riku didn't know where to begin or what to say. He only half-remembered what had happened since he'd left the door to the darkness anyway.

"You're the guy from the Secret Waterway, right?" the black-haired girl piped up, coming up behind Riku, "Kiru's parallel."

"False twins," stated the other man in the room, one with longish brown hair.

Riku frowned. He had never heard that term before, but that was what they were, weren't they? They looked like twins but really weren't. "Yes. I'm Kiru's parallel. Riku."

This revelation produced a reaction from every person in the room--besides Kiru. Aerith's eyes widened. The black-haired woman's jaw dropped. The brown-haired man's eyes widened. The blond one's eerie eyes narrowed.

"You're...really Riku?" the black-haired woman breathed, "Riku, as in Sora's friend Riku?"

Riku couldn't help but smirk. Sora's friend... Of course he still would be. Sora would forgive anything. "Yes, I am. I just...just recently escaped from the door to the darkness."

"Escaped? How?"

"I gave my heart to the darkness."

More surprise from all those around him. Riku lowered his head. It was the truth, but it hurt to say. "I fought with Kiru," he continued, "and he used a white Keyblade to restore my heart. But in the process, he...he was wounded. By me."

There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone in the room took in Riku's story. Finally, Aerith broke in, "Well, I'm glad you thought to bring him here. Did he tell you about us?"

Riku frowned, remembering that these people had recognized Kiru when he had come in but confused as to how Kiru would know them when he was from the other side of the mirror. Then a memory came to him unbidden: seeing a vision when he crossed the mirror of Kiru in a sleeping bag, other figures sleeping around him. _Kiru must have met them and been staying with them._ "No, Kiru has been unconscious since the battle. I remembered seeing you when I found Sora here. But you never met me. I never came in." He didn't say a word about his watching them through the window while his jealousy grew inside. He didn't say a word, but he suspected that they could see the pain of the memory in what was visible of his eyes. "How long do you think he'll sleep?"

Aerith turned back to her patient, her brows knotted with worry as she stared down at him. "He's not stirring at all," she mumbled, almost to herself. She thought for a moment longer, then asked, "You said he used the White Keyblade to restore your heart?"

"Yes."

"But he's the master of the Golden Keyblade."

Riku blinked. _Kiru's the master of the Golden Keyblade?_ But then he realized that it made sense. They were the same, after all. If one was the Keyblade Master, then so was the other. _But then why did he give me the Golden one to fight with? Was he planning to pull that stunt before we even started? Did he know what the White Keyblade could do? Was the whole fight just to save me?_

Unheeding of Riku's inner musings, Aerith continued, "I think that the only possibility is that he used the energy of his own heart to save you. Your hearts are the same, so somehow, using his to help him, he was able to use the White Keyblade. But this means that he is suffering from worse than just normal fatigue. His heart itself is exhausted. I don't know how long he'll be unconscious or what he'll be like when he wakes. The energy of a heart probably isn't easy to replenish. I don't even know if it CAN be replenished, no matter how long he sleeps. Which means...he might not...I don't know when he'll wake up."

Riku looked down, hating himself even more at this news. Kiru had hurt his own heart to save Riku. Maybe even seriously enough that he would never wake. _But why? He didn't even know me! And he knew that I gave myself to the darkness twice. Why save me?_ "So all we can do is wait?"

"Yes."

"Then I will wait here. Until he wakes up."

Aerith nodded. Then she turned her attention to the others in the room. "Yuffie, get some ice for his head. Leon, could you go buy me an elixir? I'll try to keep healing him, in case it does make a difference for his heart. Cloud, keep a look outside in case anything followed Riku here."

At first glance, Aerith had seemed to be a sweet woman. She had reminded Riku a bit of Kairi. So he had assumed that she was more of a follower than a leader. But Riku could see now the authority and strength within her. Kiru was indeed in good hands.

But as Riku looked down at the sleeping face identical to his own, he couldn't keep from worrying. _He hasn't moved. Hasn't even shifted in his sleep. His heart is wounded... I wonder...I wonder what condition he'll be in when he wakes? If he wakes..._

Kiru gave no response. As Riku continued to watch, he still didn't even stir.


	13. Seen

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 13: Seen**

As the dream began, Kiru watched a figure struggling against a group of shadows that had him completely surrounded. At first Kiru wasn't sure whether the figure was Riku or himself, but a flash of bright blue eyes amidst the black quickly answered that question. As Kiru continued to watch, he was able to distinguish the weapon in his hand. It was a silver sword, the blade short but curved and elegant. Kiru didn't worry much about the details. It was a sword, not a Keyblade, and that was all that mattered.

Kiru could hear the voices of other fighters around him. He squinted into the darkness that was a wave of Heartless, but he could not make anything out. Despite being unable to see his comrades, he realized that one voice had to be Riku. The other...was definitely Iraki. Or Kairi. But which?

He saw a flash of brown hair near where he was fighting. Which one was she, Iraki or Kairi? But it really didn't matter. He heard her voice, calling his name. She had seen him, too. She was worried about him. A flash of white revealed the Keyblade in her hand.

But suddenly the girl cried out. Kiru saw the White Keyblade go flying though the black. The brown hair disappeared in the darkness. The Heartless were all over her, and now she had no weapon.

"No!" It was his own voice he heard this time. He was hacking at the Heartless with his sword, trying to fight through to the girl. It was obvious that the sword was all but useless against the shadows. He could hear Riku's voice crying for the girl as well, but it was muffled. Riku was nowhere in sight. Had the Heartless swarmed over him, too? And the cries of girl were permeating the air.

"I'll save you," Kiru heard himself promise. And then he watched as he did the unthinkable.

* * *

Kiru awoke in a cold sweat, shaking all over. The end of that dream had been just as terrible as watching Sora become a Heartless. As hard as it was to believe that anything could be that awful, the events of the dream had been. He could still hear his own voice, promising to save them. Still see what he had done...

"Riku...take care of Iraki," he mumbled. His voice was cracking. Was he sick? "Take care of Iraki if anything happens to me..."

"Kiru?"

Kiru blinked, pulling his mind from his dream to the real world.

"I've heard him use that voice before. When he woke up in the middle of the night." This voice was Aerith's. But she wasn't the one standing over him...

Kiru blinked again. Why wasn't his vision clearing? He blinked again. The world slowly came into focus. Eerily glowing aqua eyes shaded by a blindfold stared down at him. "Riku?"

Riku smiled. "Well, at least he's awake," he said to Aerith. Then, to Kiru, "The Keyblade worked. Thank you."

Kiru grinned. _It is Riku. He has his heart back!_ "This way we can have a fair fight someday," Kiru replied. He realized that his voice was hoarse. He looked around the room. He was in the bed in the Small House. Riku stood over him. Aerith, Cloud, Leon, and Yuffie were all in the background. _I've been out cold,_ he realized, _but for how long? And how did I get here? Did Riku bring me?_

"How do you feel?" Yuffie broke into his thoughts, stepping up beside the bed and looking down at Kiru with concern.

"My head hurts," Kiru admitted before he thought of keeping his pain to himself, "But I'm mostly fine." He purposefully neglected to mention the ache in his heart. "What happened?"

"You were injured after our duel, so I brought you here," Riku explained.

"That was yesterday," Yuffie added.

"Yesterday?" Kiru hadn't realized that he had been injured badly enough to have slept a whole day, even after letting Riku nail him in the head with the Golden Keyblade.

"I think your heart needs time to replenish the energy it spent," Aerith stated, "At least, we hope you can regain the energy."

"Then, Riku-"

"I was perfectly fine when I woke up," Riku interrupted, "Between the power of that Keyblade and your heart, my heart was completely restored."

"Then it was worth it."

Riku frowned, seemingly a bit confused by Kiru's concern for his well being. _We aren't exactly the same,_ Kiru reminded himself, _And Riku's spent a lot of time being manipulated by the darkness. He's probably less trusting of kindness than most people are. But he's still a good person. Why else would he have brought me here? And how did he get me here? He didn't carry me, did he?_

"Kiru, do you know how you were able to use the White Keyblade? You aren't its master, too, are you?" Aerith broke into his thoughts.

Kiru frowned, trying to remember exactly what had happened in those moments after he had plunged the Keyblade into Riku's chest. "No, it doesn't react to me like the Golden Keyblade does. But I could feel Riku's heart when I touched the White Keyblade."

"Is that why you gave me the Golden Keyblade to use in the duel?"

Kiru looked up at Riku, who was now gazing at him fiercely. _He wants to know why I would give him the Keyblade that I am the master of. If I really did it to save him. It WAS because I could feel his heart, but also..._ "That was most of the reason. But also because the White Keyblade belonged to someone very important to me. There is only one person that I could ever give it to."

He didn't know why he had admitted that. It would have been easier to lie about it, even if Riku probably wouldn't believe that he had done it only to save him. But he trusted Riku and the people here. He couldn't lie to them. He did turn his face away, though, hoping they wouldn't catch the look in his eyes when he mentioned Iraki. It was hard to stay focused on the present when thoughts of her flooded his mind...

"Maybe that's why," Aerith mused to herself. Kiru and Riku both jerked their gazes to her. She stared into space for a moment, thinking, before she noticed their staring and explained. "You had a 'connection' to the White Keyblade, didn't you? Through the person who owned it. Between that connection, your aptitude at using Keyblades, and the fact that you and Riku have the same heart, you were able to effectively use the White Keyblade against all other odds."

_So in a way Iraki helped me do it. I should have known._

All were silent for a moment, considering this new discovery. But there was something tugging at the back of Kiru's mind. Something important that hadn't yet been mentioned. _The Keyblades!_ "Riku, what happened to the Keyblades after our duel?"

Riku stepped back from the bed and summoned both Keyblades to his hands. "Both are safe," he stated. But Kiru thought he heard a bit of a catch in Riku's voice when he said the word safe. _He **has** been affected by the darkness. He doesn't even trust himself anymore._

Riku stepped back up to the bed, holding out both Keyblades to Kiru. Kiru could see the strain in his eyes. He would give them back, but he didn't want to. Kiru could feel that same war within himself, that same desire for power, although probably not as strong. But he remembered his dream. Now he knew why he had been without a Keyblade in it.

Kiru sat up slowly, concentrating hard not to let his sudden dizziness show on his face. He took the White Keyblade from Riku. It was good to have it back in his hand, even though it now seemed cold and lifeless after the warmth and pulsing he had experienced from it before. But this Keyblade was his responsibility. Ansem had told him to give it to Kairi. He dismissed the White Keyblade and lay back down. "I gave the Golden Keyblade to you, remember?" He didn't want to continue, but he made himself. He hated to give up that sort of power, especially to someone who had twice succumbed to the darkness. _Riku is me. I trust him. He needs to have a weapon, and I can't give him the White Keyblade._ "Keep it. It's yours now."

Surprise flashed through Riku's eyes, and satisfaction, and...was that fear? Riku nodded and dismissed the Golden Keyblade. He did not voice his thanks, but Kiru could see it in his face.

"There is one condition, though," Kiru added. Riku didn't say anything, but his eyes said that he had expected a catch. "It's more of a request, really. And something I think you would want to do anyway."

"What is it?" Riku questioned, once again seeming confused at Kiru's unexpected kindness. After all, Kiru was giving him--GIVING him--a powerful weapon. And he was only _requesting_ that Riku do something in return? Not ordering or demanding? It was a concept that was obviously hard for Riku to understand.

"I need to deliver the White Keyblade to Kairi, and as soon as possible. Destiny Islands have been destroyed again. Will you wander the worlds with me and help me find her?"

Riku was silent for a moment, stunned. He was certainly surprised by Kiru's mission, but, although his eyes were full of questions, he asked none. He seemed to be trying to trust Kiru just as hard as Kiru was trying to trust him. That realization gave Kiru hope that maybe Riku had more light within him than he seemed to. "I'll help you," Riku agreed, finally.

Kiru grinned. "We're a team, then. So, do you know how we can get off this world and start our journey?"

"You have to rest!" Yuffie protested.

"I rested for an entire day! I feel fine," Kiru lied.

"Cid might be able to help you find some way to travel between the worlds," Leon broke in, trying to prevent the impending argument.

"It's decided then," Aerith stated, her voice lined with an authority surprising to those who knew her. But she was the one taking care of Kiru, after all. And she obviously was taking her patient's health _very_ seriously. "Riku will go talk to Cid and work out travel arrangements. You two can leave as soon as a vehicle has been found and supplies have been bought. Until then, Kiru, I expect you to stay in this bed. You are not to budge. You said your head still hurts, and you need all your strength back before you start on an adventure."

Kiru thought about arguing, but he saw the wisdom in Aerith's logic. On top of that, he knew Cloud, Leon, and Yuffie would enforce Aerith's commands by any means necessary, and he didn't think he was in any condition to take on all three of them, even if the Golden Keyblade had been in his possession instead of Riku's. His head did still hurt, as well as his heart, and, despite the immense amount of sleep he had already gotten, he still felt a terrible weariness in every muscle of his body. "I'll see you later, then," he said to Riku, almost as if Aerith's plan was what he had been planning all along.

Riku nodded. He turned to Leon. "Where do I find this Cid?"

"I'll take you there myself."

"And I'll pick up some supplies for you guys!" Yuffie volunteered.

"Thank you," Kiru replied. Yuffie just grinned and headed out of the room, apparently unfazed that Riku hadn't thanked her, too.

Everyone else other than Aerith and Cloud filed out of the room. Aerith was obviously planning something for Kiru, and Cloud was probably waiting for her. Kiru leaned back on his pillow, prepared for whatever Aerith had in store for him. She leaned down and picked something up from beside the bed. Kiru could hear ice shifting in a container. Then Aerith pressed something cold to the welt on his head. His eyes slid shut in contentment. The coolness felt wonderful, numbing the pain and dulling the ache. Kiru allowed his mind to wander, and the numbness of his head slowly seeped into his thoughts as he sunk back into unconsciousness.

* * *

"How bad is it?" Cloud questioned when they were both sure that Kiru was asleep again.

"His wounds are healing wonderfully considering the weapon that made them," Aerith stated. She bit her lip. "But his fatigue is as bad as I feared it would be."

Cloud nodded.

"I still can't believe it," Aerith mused.

"Believe what?"

"That he was able to channel his own heart's energy through the White Keyblade. He must have used his heart first to bring Riku's heart to him and then to send it back inside him. Kiru is not the master of the White Keyblade, but he used it well enough that Riku underwent a full recovery. I know it only could have worked because their hearts are the same and Kiru has a strong connection to the Keyblade's owner, but the sheer amount of energy it must have taken to do that... I'd feel better if Kiru stayed in bed for a few more days."

"He doesn't have a few more days."

"I know. That's why he has to sleep as much as he can now. Even if the sleep isn't helping him, it's all he can do to hope to heal. And considering his condition even after a day of sleeping"--Aerith looked down at Kiru, perfectly still in a sleep deep enough to mimic death--"I doubt that he is healing. I think whatever injury he suffered goes far beyond something that sleep can heal."

"Do you plan to stay with him?"

"He needs someone here to keep ice on his head. Otherwise the wound might start really throbbing and wake him. And I hope to bring the swelling down more before he leaves."

"You've been up all night."

"Kiru is our hope. We have to do everything we can for him."

"I can keep ice on his head. You go sleep."

"Cloud..."

Aerith looked up at the warrior. He was standing behind her now. He kept his face impassive, but his eyes told Aerith that he was worried about her.

"There's no need for you to wear yourself out," Cloud continued, "Go sleep. I promise to wake you when he wakes up."

Aerith smiled and nodded, and understanding passed between the two. Without another word, Aerith stood, handing the ice-filled cloth to Cloud on her way to her sleeping bag. Then she crawled into it and, finally succumbing to her exhaustion, promptly fell asleep, trusting that Cloud would do as he had said and truly gratefully for the chance to rest.

Cloud sank to his knees, somehow managing to still look fearsome and dangerous in that position. He pressed the ice against the welt on Kiru's head. Kiru didn't stir. _He really is exhausted,_ Cloud realized, _I just hope he has the energy to do what he needs to._

Kiru slept with a stillness normally found in death. Only his visible breathing was enough to keep Cloud himself from attempting to wake Kiru to make sure he was still alive. But hopefully his heart was replenishing its lost energy, despite Aerith's doubts otherwise. And all anyone could do was hope that, when it came time to leave, whatever energy Kiru had would be enough.

* * *

They wandered for a very long time before Iraki realized that Aros didn't know where he was going. The streets were deserted apart from the hordes of Heartless wandering about, and whenever Aros approached them, they slunk back into the shadows, fear apparent in their rushed movements. But if he chose to give them any orders, the Heartless followed them without hesitation. To Iraki's alarm, most of the Heartless he did give orders to were sent into the First and Second Districts. _It's because there are people there. I hope Auron and the others can handle all those Heartless..._ But Iraki knew that the apparent strength of those four people was exactly why Aros was sending so many Heartless toward them.

Even though Aros gave orders along the way and walked as if he had a purpose, Iraki knew that he had no real idea where he was going. He almost continually mumbled to himself about the Silver Keyblade, trying to figure out where it could have gone. He also kept complaining that not having it ruined all his plans. Almost every time he said something, he stopped for a second and kicked the Heartless that was Sora. The Heartless usually gave a whimper when it was kicked but otherwise made no sound and simply followed Aros. It hurt Iraki immensely to see Sora reduced to such a creature.

In fact, Iraki was so distracted by watching Aros and his abuse of Sora that she didn't even think of casting another invisibility spell. She was walking along behind the two when her spell wore off. She, of course, had no way of knowing that the spell was no longer working. Even though Aros didn't notice her, the Heartless sensed her heart immediately. It stopped in its tracks and turned toward her, a hungry look in its eyes that was frightening to behold. Iraki realized what must have happened and whispered, "Invisible," but it was already too late. Her spell didn't hide her from the sight of someone who was looking right at her, and Aros quickly noticed that the Heartless had stopped and followed its gaze, seeing her as well. "The Keyblade!" he cried, immediately calling his own Keyblade to his hand and running toward her. The Heartless followed his lead.

Iraki was so alarmed at this unexpected development that for several seconds she couldn't think straight. The first thing that occurred to her numb mind was that Aros should have been more surprised by her presence than out to get the Keyblade. Then the thought crossed her mind that Aros loved her and should not be attacking her at all. And finally her mind had a thought in its own defense. Iraki jumped on the idea. "STOP!!"

Aros and the Heartless were both frozen in place. Iraki knew that a spell that weak wouldn't hold them for long, so she immediately turned and ran. _Wait! I can't lose track of Sora!_ She stopped and turned back. Aros and the Heartless were still held in place, unable even to move their eyes. Technically she was already out of sight, and since she'd cast invisible again, they wouldn't be able to see her even when the Stop spell wore off. _But what if one of them does spot me? I can't possibly fight against Aros, even with this Keyblade. My fighting skills are even less developed than my magic! But he'll think that I ran away, won't he? And as long as he doesn't look right at me, he won't see me. I just have to be even more careful than I was before._ Her resolve restored, Iraki began walking back toward Aros and the Heartless, but slowly, staying in the shadows of the buildings and away from the frozen gazes of the two. Her fear was almost enough to make her turn and run again, but she knew that she couldn't. Kiru had told her that she couldn't lose track of Sora. Those were Ansem's orders, but they had come from Kiru. Iraki wouldn't let him down. Not if she could help it.

The stop spell finally wore off, and Aros looked all around him, his eyes flashing with anger. "Where is she!?" He lashed out with his Keyblade, catching the Heartless in the head. The Heartless cried out and staggered but caught its balance. Aros didn't even seem to be aware of its presence. He started running toward where Iraki had been standing when he'd seen her, waving his Keyblade in absolute rage. The Heartless scurried after him, and Iraki ran after him as well, trying to step silently. He DID think that she had run away. If she were careful to be quiet, maybe she would be able to safely follow him after all. _But he knows I'm here now. I think this mission has just gotten a lot more dangerous._


	14. A New Journey

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 14: A New Journey**

Riku walked beside Leon to the First District, neither saying a word on the journey. Riku could see questions in Leon's eyes, but, as long as he didn't ask them, Riku would say nothing. He was trying to trust Sora's friends and his parallel, but that didn't mean he wanted to explain himself any further than he already had. He hated to think of what he had been and what he had done. He was ashamed of it.

"Cid, there you are!" Leon declared to a man standing on a corner in the First District. He had short blond hair and was dressed in a plain white T-shirt and blue pants. His muscular arms and the goggles perched on his head were evidence that he was a mechanic or engineer of some sort. He turned to Leon in surprise, and, seeing Riku, he raised an eyebrow. "Helping another new refugee?" Cid asked, looking Riku up and down.

"Helping another Keyblade Master," Leon replied. He tried very unsuccessfully to hide his amusement at Cid's reaction. Cid's eyes grew wider than seemed humanly possible. Even Riku couldn't help but grin at the sight. He called the Golden Keyblade to his hand, holding it just long enough for Cid to get a look at it before sending it away. Cid was in complete shock. He worked his mouth a few times, but no sound came out.

"My name is Riku."

This, if possible, shocked Cid even more. "Riku?" he choked out, "You're..."

"Sora's friend," Riku supplied, even though it almost felt wrong to say after all he had done, "The one manipulated by the darkness."

Cid just nodded, his mouth hanging open. He didn't seem aware of it at first, then he jerked back to reality and snapped it shut. "What do you need from me? I'd be happy to help if I can."

"We need a way to travel to other worlds," Riku stated.

Cid raised an eyebrow to Leon. "We?"

"He means himself and his companion," Leon explained. At Cid's look, he added, "Kiru."

Cid nodded again, this time looking a little downcast. _He thought that Leon meant Sora,_ Riku realized, _Of course he would be excited about seeing Sora!_ He tried to force the bitterness from his mind. Cid was, after all, a friend of Sora's. Cid didn't know Kiru, so naturally he would be more excited about seeing Sora than about seeing Kiru.

"All I have to offer is the Gummi Ship that we used to come here," Cid stated apologetically, "And we would need that one back from you to go home."

_So we'd have to make sure we brought it back--and in one piece. I'm not sure we can guarantee that..._ "Can you think of anything else we could do?"

Cid scratched his head, frowning. "Without a Gummi Ship, there's no way to cross the space between worlds. But you're here...was your island destroyed again?"

"No, I..." Riku trailed off. He blinked. He knew how they could leave Traverse Town. It was so obvious that he didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. "I used the mirror to get here. We can cross the mirror to travel to other worlds!"

"The mirror?" Cid repeated, obviously confused.

"It's a long story, Cid," Leon replied evasively.

"I'd better go back and tell Kiru what I have planned," Riku declared. He turned to go.

"Well, nice to meet you, Riku," Cid broke in, "Good luck on your journey."

Riku turned back around, realizing that he was being rude and actually regretting it a bit. He inclined his head to Cid. "Thank you for your help."

"Hey, anything you need, I'll be here."

"Thanks, Cid," Leon stated. He turned and started back toward the Third District, and Riku followed. It was another silent journey, but this time it was because Riku was too lost in thought to be part of a conversation. _The mirror... For some reason I feel like there's something dangerous about traveling across that. The Heartless were planning something, weren't they? But what? I can't remember..._

When they entered the Small House, they found Aerith sleeping peacefully in a sleeping bag on the floor. Cloud, surprisingly, was kneeling beside the bed, holding ice against the welt on the sleeping Kiru's head. It was an odd sight to see such a hard man taking care of someone. Riku might have cracked a smile, except Cloud brought his eyes up to meet Riku's and Leon's when they entered, and the glint in his glowing blue eyes somehow ruined all the humor.

"Are you ready to leave now?" Cloud questioned in a low voice, careful not to wake the two sleepers.

"Yes. As soon as I've talked to Kiru."

"Yuffie hasn't returned with your supplies yet. Will you need to talk long?"

"Maybe."

"Then you can wake him." Cloud removed the ice from Kiru's head and set it in a container hidden from view behind the bed. He stood and walked back toward the wall, leaning against it with his arms crossed, looking lost in his own thoughts but in reality obviously paying close attention.

Riku stepped up next to Kiru. Despite the talking and the removal of the ice, he didn't seem to have moved at all. "Kiru?" Riku put a hand on his shoulder and shook him slightly. Kiru didn't stir. "Kiru!" Riku shook him harder and continued to shake him. _He's still this tired... If he wasn't so intent on getting that Keyblade to Kairi, I'd suggest we stay for a while. Maybe I'd better suggest it anyway._

Kiru finally let out a groan, and Riku quit shaking him. Kiru opened his eyes, blinking. "Riku?" He sat up immediately. "What did you find out?"

_He seems awake enough, but someone who can sleep that soundly has to be incredibly exhausted._ "Cid has a Gummi Ship, but they need that one to go home. There is another way to leave this world, though."

"How?"

Riku frowned down at Kiru, something occurring to him that none of them had thought of until now. "Hey, you haven't eaten in more than a day, have you?"

Kiru shook his head as if to signal that it wasn't important. "I'll eat before we leave. But how can we leave this world without a Gummi Ship?"

"You'll eat now. I'll explain after you're done."

Kiru sighed but grinned at Riku as well. "All right, I concede. What's around to eat?"

Riku grinned back. "Stay put. I'll get something." He stepped over to a counter in the corner, grabbing a plate, and then opened the small refrigerator next to it, throwing together some meat and cheese on the plate and grabbing a nearly-empty container of juice. He brought it all back to Kiru and set it on his lap. Kiru dove right into the food, proving that he was starving by his zeal for eating even such meager portions. No one said a word while Kiru ate, Kiru seeming to have accepted that he would have to wait until afterwards before he could get any explanations from Riku. Finally the plate was clean and the container of juice was empty. Riku brought them back over to the counter and came back, standing next to the bed. Kiru gazed up at him expectantly, grinning slightly as if to say "I kept my end of the bargain. Your turn."

But both of their grins faded as the topic again turned serious.

"We can travel to other worlds by crossing the mirror."

Kiru's eyes widened, and he frowned, now seemingly lost in thought. "The mirror..."

"We know where it is," Riku continued, "so it wouldn't be hard to cross."

"Yes, but..." Kiru trailed off, his thoughts still turned inward. "Our destination can't be controlled, and we could just wind up back here. And the universe... False twins aren't supposed to exist at all. For false twins to be crossing the mirror TOGETHER? I wonder if my dream-" Kiru cut himself off abruptly and turned to Riku, apparently startled that he had voiced that thought aloud. "I wonder what the effect would be," he finished lamely, trying to cover up his alarm.

Riku frowned as well, not so much because he shared Kiru's concerns, but because he remembered what Kiru had said in a voice not his own right after waking up. _"Riku...take care of Iraki. Take care of Iraki if anything happens to me..."_ _What did he see in his dream?_ But Riku asked nothing since Kiru obviously didn't want to explain. Instead, Riku turned his mind to the concerns that Kiru had voiced. "You can't control your destination?"

"No. No one knows what determines where the mirror takes you."

"But after I left the door to the darkness, I..." Riku struggled to remember what had happened. The first thing he had done was cross the mirror. He had been trying to find Sora, and he...he had appeared in Crossroads City--the exact world where Sora was. "Could it be a coincidence that I ended up exactly where I wanted to be?"

Kiru's attention snapped from his own thoughts back to Riku. "When you crossed the mirror, you wound up on the world that you wanted to be on?"

"Not exactly. I was looking for Sora, and I appeared on the same world that he was on. And then when I came here...was I trying to meet you?" Riku struggled to remember. He had been in a hurry to leave Crossroads City... _I met Aros there. He was everything that Sora wasn't, and I could see it. I was curious about Kiru. If he truly was the same, would he be as susceptible to the darkness as I had been?_ "Yes. I crossed the mirror the second time wanting to find you, and I ended up here."

"So both times, by thinking about a person you wanted to find instead of a world you wanted to go to, you wound up exactly where you wanted to be."

"And if we think of Kairi, then maybe finding her won't be hard at all."

"It's a good plan," Kiru agreed, "The best we could have considering the circumstances. I don't like to use the mirror, but..." He hesitated, biting his lip a bit as he considered his options. Finally, he sighed in resignation. "I suppose we have no choice. So let's go." Kiru put on a false smile, pulling back the sheets and sliding out of bed. He was obviously trying to look energetic, but Riku noticed how he swayed just slightly when he first got to his feet.

"The mirror won't be hard to get to. Maybe we should rest up some more first," Riku suggested casually.

Kiru gave him a patronizing look. "We need to leave immediately. Kairi was supposed to have the Keyblade already. But the Heartless attacked, and I didn't get it to her. I can only hope that it's not too late now."

Riku had tried not to ask before--he had thought that Kiru would tell him eventually, when he was ready to--but now that they were about to embark on this mission, he needed to know what they were doing it for. "Kiru, why are we bringing the White Keyblade to Kairi?"

"Why?" Kiru seemed thrown off by the question. "Well, because-"

"Supplies have arrived!" Yuffie declared, bursting through the open door with a backpack in each hand. She noticed Kiru standing and smiled. "Oh, good! The door was open, so I figured you had to be up. I-" She stopped and let out a little gasp. Aerith had raised herself up to one elbow in her sleeping bag and was giving Yuffie a frown that didn't quite cover up her amusement. "Sorry, Aerith!"

"It's all right. I would have needed to wake up to wish our Keyblade Masters well anyway." Aerith pulled herself out of the sleeping bag and stood, smoothing her dress and adjusting her hair. Then she stopped and peered at Kiru. She frowned, her eyes now sad. "And there's something that I have to tell you two as well."

Both turned to her, the exact same look of expectation and dread on their identical faces. This had to be something about Kiru's health, and from Aerith's face, it didn't look like good news.

"Kiru, how do you feel right now? Be completely honest, please."

Kiru grimaced. Riku watched him with interest, wondering what he would say--if he would admit the fatigue that everyone else could easily see.

"My head feels fine," Kiru began, trying to sound optimistic, then hesitated and added, "But I'm very tired. And not even just tired. I feel like...like every muscle in my body is exhausted individually. And, ever since the duel, my heart hasn't stopped aching."

A murmur went through the room. Everyone knew that Kiru was tired because of the energy his heart had lost, but this sounded like a serious handicap. He had slept so much already... How could he still be so completely drained? And if his heart still hurt, did that mean it wasn't getting any better?

"Thank you for being honest," Aerith stated, although she looked even more worried than before, "I suspected that your fatigue was intense, but I didn't know what you felt. I don't know what to tell you about the ache in your heart, except that it probably won't go away until your heart has healed, and I have to admit that I don't know how or when that will happen. But now that you've admitted your fatigue, you don't mind me warning both you and Riku of the effects that I anticipate, do you?"

Kiru shook his head. Riku was glad for this. If Kiru had protested, he would have tried to talk to Aerith on his own before leaving. If they were going to work together, he needed to know what the situation was. The more he could get Kiru to open up to him, the better.

"You're going to need a lot of sleep, but you're going to have to be very careful about when and where you sleep. It was an entire day before you woke up on you own before, and I don't know what woke you up this second time, but I imagine that it wasn't easy to do?" Aerith paused, looking around, and at Riku's and Leon's nodding, knew her assumption was correct. She continued, "I don't know how long you would sleep if left on your own, or how much noise you will be able to sleep through. But you are going to need the sleep to keep your fatigue from getting any worse. So make sure you do sleep. But also make sure that Riku or someone else is there to wake you. Because I don't even know if an attack would wake you before it was too late."

Riku glanced at Kiru. He was standing stiffly, a look of anger and worry only half-repressed despite Kiru's obvious efforts to remain emotionless. This was a serious problem, and they both knew it. Kiru should not be traveling. He should not even be out of bed. But Riku could sense that he HAD to go on this journey. Now. It was something that no amount of injury could keep him from doing. _But what is it that he knows that makes him so desperate to do this?_

"Thank you for the warning," Kiru stated, keeping his voice neutral, "And for the supplies. We'd better leave now. Thank you again." There was warmth in his voice now, but his worry still wasn't quite masked.

"Good-bye again, Kiru," Yuffie declared, "Take care of yourself! And you, too, Riku."

"We will. Good-bye, everyone," Kiru replied, smiling a little sadly. He took the backpack that Yuffie offered him, and Riku stepped forward and took the other. They both walked to the doorway and turned around. "Good-bye," Riku stated. Then he added, "Thank you."

Everyone in the room said their good-byes to the two in the doorway, except Cloud who, as he caught their eyes, merely nodded. Leon kept his arms crossed over his chest but grinned at them. Yuffie waved vigorously, and Aerith was waving slightly, too. Kiru gave a small wave back. Riku nodded. Then they both turned and walked away. With those first steps, their journey began.


	15. The Visitor

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 15: The Visitor**

Iraki didn't know how much longer she could keep walking. Her legs felt like lead, and even the Silver Keyblade was a heavy weight in her hand. It was morning now. Aside from the time that she had spent unconscious after the destruction of Fate Isles, it had been more than 24 hours since she had last slept. Almost exactly a day had passed since Sora had unlocked the mirror and started them all on this journey. Although she'd brought food with her, she'd only eaten a bit when Aros had stopped earlier to do the same. And her aching stomach did nothing to improve her fatigue. But Aros was still wandering seemingly aimlessly about Crossroads City.

Iraki gave in to the pain in her arm and stopped for a second, concentrating on the Silver Keyblade. It did exactly as she expected--the same thing the White Keyblade had always done for her--and disappeared when she willed it to. That weight gone, she hurried to catch up with Aros and the Heartless, flexing her now-free hand.

After wandering for a while longer, Aros finally stopped in front of one of the many deserted houses of the district. He pulled open the door and looked inside. Nodding in approval, he disappeared within the doorway. The Heartless hung back just outside, peering in after him in either curiosity or nervousness--its emotionless face gave no clue as to which.

"Come on!" Aros snapped. Iraki saw the Black Keyblade being swung out of the doorway, catching the Heartless across the face. The Heartless whimpered and scurried inside. Iraki dashed in as well. She didn't need to worry about Aros closing the door on her, though. As she entered, she watched as he closed the curtains on the single window in the back of the house, being very slow and leisurely about it. Only after he had done that did he move to close the door. He obviously felt like there was nothing for him to worry about anymore. Although he still muttered to himself about the Silver Keyblade and Iraki, it seemed like they were both more of an annoyance than anything else.

_He must have been afraid of Sora,_ Iraki realized, _And with him...gone_--She looked in sadness at the Heartless standing next to Aros, obediently awaiting its next orders--_Aros thinks he has already won and that everything else will fall into place eventually. He doesn't even consider me a threat._

"You are not going to move from this house until I do. Understand?"

The Heartless simply stared up at Aros, giving no reaction at all.

"You will stay here!" Aros struck the Heartless across the face again. Iraki could see drops of black dripping from the wound. It took her a second to realize that it was blood. _He hit it too many times. It's bleeding. He wouldn't...kill it, would he?_

"Bleeding?" Aros mocked. But Iraki thought he sounded a bit shaken. He probably hadn't actually meant to HURT the Heartless with his abuse. "Weakling." This time he smacked the ground with his Keyblade. "I'm resting now. You rest too...if you need it." His voice still dripped with scorn, but Iraki was inwardly glad to see him make this concession. Hopefully he would keep the Heartless alive after all.

_But what does it matter? Sora's gone forever, isn't he? No. Doesn't there have to be some way to bring him back? Could it be possible? I wish... But there's nothing I can do. Nothing but follow and protect the Silver Keyblade._

Aros walked over to the bed in the corner and, pulling off his shoes and jacket, lay down, crawling under the blankets. Some of the morning light still shown through the closed curtains, so he turned toward the wall and lay still, finally resting after the long day.

The Heartless walked over to the wall adjacent to the bed and sat down on the floor, keeping its eyes trained on Aros the entire time. It wiped the blood from its forehead with a black hand and leaned against the wall, its head at first tilted up toward Aros, but, when Aros didn't stir, it finally relaxed, its head lolling into its lap.

Iraki waited until she was sure that both were asleep before pulling out an elixir and drinking it. She only had a few with her, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to cast Invisible again without it. _And I can't risk becoming visible, even now, in case one of them wakes up. My becoming visible might even wake Sora-I mean, the Heartless._ She shuddered. She couldn't stand thinking of that creature as Sora. _Even...even if it is him, it isn't. He is not that thing._

A small refrigerator in the corner caught Iraki's eye. _No point in wasting my own food if I don't have to. But what if I wake one of them up when I'm holding it open? They couldn't possibly miss seeing me then._ Her stomach rumbled as if in annoyance at her indecision. She had hardly eaten all day. _I don't know how long I'll be following them, and I don't have much food with me. It might be worth the risk. I just have to be really careful..._

Iraki crept across the room, keeping her eyes trained on the figure in the bed and the Heartless sleeping beside it. Neither stirred. She reached out and grabbed the handle of the refrigerator door, pulling the door slowly open. A patch of light poured out of the refrigerator, illuminating half of the room but thankfully not reaching her sleeping companions.

Nervously, Iraki pulled her gaze away from Aros and the Heartless and looked at the food inside. It was almost empty; there was only part of a gallon of milk, some packages of cheese and meat, and a container holding some small red fruits with a green leafy top. She wished there were some nonperishable items, but she realized that those probably wouldn't be in a refrigerator in the first place. _The people probably took all the other food with them when they fled. But at least I'll get to have one meal that isn't using the food I have with me._

She picked up the container of red fruit first. She had never seen anything like it before, and it looked interesting. A small label sticker proclaimed a price and the name "strawberries." Opening the container carefully, she picked up one of the fruits and took a bite.

The fruit was soft but at the same time had a bit of a fresh crunch to it. A tasty red juice flooded her mouth, and Iraki decided that she was glad that she had decided to risk opening the refrigerator.

Taking another bite of the sweet fruit, Iraki couldn't help but think of the special fruit on her own home island. She wondered if paopu fruit tasted as wonderful as this. Could it possibly be even sweeter? _If...if I were sharing it with Kiru, it would definitely be sweeter._

She thought of the days they had spent sitting on the paopu tree, herself seated between Kiru and Aros. And the one day when Aros had been feeling ill and it had just been the two of them on the paopu tree. She had been sitting near the fruit, and she had thought that maybe this was the perfect opportunity... _But I didn't do it. I know even if I had tried to Kiru would have refused. But we both wanted to try it that day. If it hadn't been for Aros and his...his own love for me, I'm sure we would have done and said a lot of things that we never did._

Iraki realized then that she was standing in the light of the still-open refrigerator door. Cursing herself for being foolish, she set the strawberry back in the container and grabbed the packages of meat and cheese with her other hand. Setting it all on the floor, she hurriedly pulled the door shut.

What she hadn't seen was the jar in the door of the refrigerator that rattled loudly as the door swung shut. And she was again distracted by the strawberries and thoughts of Kiru when she picked the food back up. In fact, her mind was so absorbed in memories that she didn't even notice the yellow eyes that had just opened and were looking, narrowed, in her direction.

The Heartless jumped at Iraki from behind. She heard the scraping as it came toward her, and she just barely turned around in time to see it flying at her, claws extended. She choked back a scream, since Aros was apparently still sleeping, and tried to twist away. But she knew that it was already too late. _So this is the end then? I'm sorry, Kiru. I failed..._

* * *

Kairi awoke with a start. "Ansem...is coming here!" She sat up and suddenly realized where she was. "I was asleep. Was that...was that just a dream?" She sat still for a moment, trying to sort out her thoughts. "I'm at the King's Castle. I'm in Sora's room. Sora..." Kairi choked back a sob at the flood of memories. She hugged the sheets against her as if somehow being where he had been and holding what he had touched could help allay the emptiness inside her heart. The emotional pain was so intense that she turned her mind to her awful dream to escape from it. _Ansem...I heard Ansem._ Images of Sora ran through her mind. She struggled to force them away. _I gave away where I am. "Remember what you said before?" Ansem said he was coming. "I'm always with you, too." I have to warn the others about it. "I'll come back to you." I have to warn them before he shows up. "I promise." Sora..._ Kairi gave in to the memories, tears pouring down her cheeks. She couldn't think of Ansem now. She couldn't think of anything. Not when every second, every heartbeat made her feel the emptiness, feel over again that moment when the most important thing to her was violently torn away and lost in the deepest darkness. _Sora..._ Ansem didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Not when she had lost him. Not when Sora was completely and utterly gone.

A soft knock on the door was finally able to pull Kairi from her thoughts. She hurriedly tried to wipe her tears away and lay back down to make it look as if she had been asleep. "Co-come in." Her voice caught, but she hoped that whoever was at the door would attribute it to grogginess.

The knob turned, and the door opened slowly. "Sorry if I woke you," Queen Minnie apologized, stepping into the room and closing the door softly behind her.

"It's fine. I needed to wake up anyway," Kairi replied, sitting back up and hoping her eyes weren't red. This was the queen, after all. She didn't want Minnie to know that she had been crying.

Minnie walked over and sat at the end of the bed, her face turned away from Kairi, staring into space as if she were deep in thought or memory. "Sora always preferred it when someone knocked to wake him up as well," she commented. She sounded as if she were simply musing to herself, but Kairi knew it was more than that. She didn't wonder about it, though. She was too busy thinking about Sora to analyze Minnie's motives.

"He did?" Kairi asked.

Minnie nodded, smiling to herself as if thinking of fond memories. "Yes, he always thanked me for waking him. But usually he didn't invite me into the room. Whenever he didn't, I could always hear the tears in his voice, even though he tried to hide them. And those days he would always talk about you and Riku and his childhood memories. But mostly about you."

Kairi could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She tried to hold them back. Minnie turned to her, smiling kindly. "There were other days, too. When Sora would find me in solitary places and try to stop my tears."

"_Your_ tears?" As Kairi watched in shock, Minnie's eyes began to glisten.

"Yes, my tears. The one I love is very far away, too. Trapped in Kingdom Hearts... It's been years since I've seen him. I try to be strong for the kingdom, but Sora always seemed to find me whenever I broke down."

_I forgot that Minnie has lost someone, too. Four years...and she hasn't given up. She's continued living, continued ruling. If she can be strong, can't I be strong, too?_ Kairi took a deep breath, gazing into Minnie's pain-filled eyes. Minnie simply watched her silently, waiting for Kairi to finish her battle with herself.

But the breath made Kairi feel the hole within her all the more prominently. _Minnie's pain isn't the same at all. Mickey's still out there. He's still himself. But Sora..._

Kairi turned her eyes away from Minnie as the tears she had been holding back began to fall. Kairi ignored them, allowing them to run in rivulets down her face. She was too intent on her own thoughts and despair to even think of wiping them away. Memories of Sora plagued her at the same time that she tried to convince herself to be strong. _I vowed yesterday that I would fight this time. But if only it weren't so hopeless..._

"Sora was told that he will open the door to the light," Minnie broke in gently, "That is what keeps me going. Because if Sora opens the door, then Mickey will come back. And Sora WILL open the door, Kairi. He will."

Kairi looked back up at Minnie. Tears had slipped down the queen's cheeks as well. When it came to Sora, Kairi wanted to be the optimistic one. To allay everyone else's fears. But when Queen Minnie was crying beside her, how could she possibly say something that even she didn't believe was true?

"How can he?" Kairi choked out through her tears, "How can he ever open the door when he's _gone_!?"

She had said it. She had admitted it. Even she believed that he was gone forever. She, the one who loved him most of all. The one whose heart had been connected to his. Who had for a while even existed within him. Even she thought that it was hopeless. That he was gone. That he would never return.

"Gone for now, maybe," Minnie replied firmly, "But not forever. He WILL open the door. Which means that sometime, somehow, he will come back. If only to open the door, he will come back. You have no reason to lose hope."

Kairi said nothing for a moment, her mind both desperately wanting to grab onto this new hope and wanting to reject it so that false hope didn't make her even more miserable. "But how do you...how do you know that he'll open the door?"

"Sora told us that he heard a voice--before his first adventure, during it, and after it. It told him a little about what was going to happen before it happened. Before his adventure, it warned him about the darkness that was coming. And, at the end of his adventure, it told him that he would open the door to the light. I believe that voice. More than that, Mickey mentioned the door to the light to Sora as well. He didn't say that Sora would open it in so many words, but I believe that was what he meant. And I will never doubt Mickey. So please, you shouldn't doubt that Sora will open the door either. He will come back. He will."

"So you really believe there is hope?" Kairi asked timidly.

"I know there is."

"Then..." Kairi put a hand to her chest over the empty place, trying to convince herself that someday--someday soon--it would be filled. Trying to hope that it would be. Trying to believe... "Then I have to keep holding on. Because if he does come back, I can't have given up. I'll hold on for him."

Minnie smiled. Both their tears had stopped. "Good. Because he needs you as much as you need him."

_Yes. If there's a chance, even just a chance that he'll come back, I can't give up. I won't. I'll fight. For Sora... Sora..._

And Kairi remembered then what she needed to do for Sora's friends. He would want her to help them, of course. Why hadn't she thought of that before? Not warning them about Ansem would be like hurting Sora himself. "Queen Minnie, I need to meet with everyone again. As soon as possible."

Minnie looked a bit surprised by this sudden change in Kairi's demeanor, but she nodded and stood. "I'll gather everyone. You get yourself ready, and I'll have Goofy bring you to the meeting room."

Kairi nodded as well and tried to smile. "Thank you. I'll be ready very soon. This is urgent."

Minnie nodded again and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Kairi untangled herself from the sheets and made the bed hurriedly, but still with care. The fact that this was Sora's room made it impossible for her not to be gentle with everything. She still ached with the emptiness, but she tried to ignore it and think about what she needed to do now. She pulled her clothing out of the drawer where she had placed it last night and changed out of the borrowed nightgown and back into her own garments. She was about to open the door and see if Goofy was there when she heard cries from elsewhere in the castle. They were too distant for her to make out any words, but at least one person was definitely yelling somewhere. She pulled open the door to find Goofy standing just outside. "Goofy, what's happening?"

Goofy looked confused, but his features told her nothing beyond that. "Someone's at the castle gates. He's from another world, and he's looking for you."

"Ansem," Kairi blurted out.

"What?"

"It's Ansem. I had a dream. He said he was coming. I...I have to see him..." Kairi started to run past Goofy. She didn't really know how to get to the front of the castle, but at the moment she had to be moving somewhere, in some vague direction, even if it wasn't the right one.

Goofy caught her arm as she passed by. "Kairi, stop. Ansem's dead. This can't be him."

Kairi tried to pull away. She knew that she was acting crazy, but _Ansem_ was _here_. She had to see him. She had to do something... "But it is him! In my dream-"

"It was a dream. Now, try to calm down. This _could_ be another refuge from your island, couldn't it?"

"Refugee."

"Yep. It could be."

"But...but..." Kairi sputtered, still trying vainly to pull her arm from his grasp.

At that moment Donald came running up the hall, flailing his arms and looking to be in a desperate hurry. "Queen Minnie wants us to come right away!" he yelled, "To the main meeting room. There's a man here. He's...he's..."

"It IS Ansem!" Kairi burst out, yanking her arm away from Goofy and running toward Donald.

Donald seemed taken aback. "How did you-"

"Come on!" Kairi cried, passing Donald now as well.

"Donald, it isn't him, right?" she heard Goofy ask nervously behind her.

Donald seemed to be too stunned to respond. "No, but... It is... He... You have to see him," he finally stated, "Come on!"

Kairi heard footsteps as the two of them came running up behind her. She continued to run ahead at first, but, seeing a fork in the hallway ahead and realizing that she didn't know which direction to go, she slowed a bit, allowing the other two to catch up with her. They turned to the left, and she did the same, keeping even with them.

Finally the three stood outside the double doors to the meeting room. Kairi reached up to pull open a door, but Goofy stopped her with his hand. He took a deep breath and raised his other hand, giving three sharp knocks on the door.

"Please come in," came the voice of the king from inside.

Goofy stepped back, allowing Kairi to lead the way. She heard Donald swallow hard behind her and Goofy take another breath. Kairi took a deep breath of her own and pulled open the door, stepping inside.

Mickey, Minnie, and Daisy were sitting along the sides of the table, but Kairi barely saw them. All her attention was focused on the man sitting at the end. His hair was golden and his eyes a glowing silver, his skin strangely pale. But, despite the differences, the similarities in his facial structure, regal posture, and his entire demeanor made him unmistakable. "Ansem?"

"Yes," he stated in a voice chillingly familiar, "I am Ansem."


	16. The Seeker and the King

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 16: The Seeker and the King**

The room was deadly silent for a moment. Kairi stood stiffly in the doorway, her eyes locked on Ansem. His eerie silver eyes were trained on her as well, unblinking. He was studying her.

"Please, come in and take a seat," Ansem invited. His voice sent a chill down Kairi's spine. She forced her legs to work but didn't take her eyes off of Ansem. Donald and Goofy kept close behind her. They sat down in the three remaining chairs along the sides of the table--Donald next to Daisy, Goofy beside him, and Kairi on the other side of the table next to Minnie.

It was then that Kairi noticed that Donald and Goofy were not staring at Ansem as she would have expected them to be. Instead, they were staring at the person sitting two seats down from her, right next to Queen Minnie. She had seen him on her way into the room, but she had seen so many pictures of him before and been so focused on Ansem at the time that she really hadn't noticed. Now it occurred to her that just moments before she and the queen had been discussing his absence. Kairi gasped, but Goofy beat her to making the first comment. "Your...Your Majesty!"

Mickey shook his head, smiling slightly. "Ansem, I told you they were sure to think I was him."

"Just as I knew they would think I was their Ansem. But the fact that you are the parallel of their king is precisely why you must be here."

"Parallel?" Kairi repeated. She had heard that before. _Kiru. He said that he was Riku's **parallel**._

"But...how did you get here?" Donald sputtered. "You weren't here a few minutes ago!"

Mickey laughed. "Well, I didn't want to cause an uproar at the front gates, so I waited for Ansem to get inside so I could come straight here. Do you know about the mirror?" he asked, turning from Donald and Goofy to Kairi. Only then did she spot the brown eyes, the like of which she had never seen in any picture of the king.

Kairi shook her head. "Not the mirror. I've heard of another universe where parallels exist," she admitted.

"Another universe? No, it's really not that," Ansem broke in, "It's the other side of the universe that exists on the other side of the mirror."

Kairi frowned, her attention back on the golden-haired figure, and asked the first question that came to mind. "But if you're from the other side of the mirror, how did you get here?"

Ansem laughed. "Ah, but we really aren't here at all." And his form abruptly became transparent. The others let out a collective gasp.

"Ansem," Mickey broke in, a bit apologetically, "I think you're confusing and upsetting them."

Ansem frowned. "Ah! They still think of him when they see me, don't they?"

"I can't imagine why they wouldn't," Mickey replied dryly.

"Then I should start from the beginning," Ansem decided aloud. He smiled warmly at Kairi. "It's nice to finally meet you, Kairi, and everyone else as well. You all look nervous. Please don't be. Allow me to fully introduce myself first."

Kairi kept her eyes locked on the man, trying not to shudder at the warm tone in a voice that she felt should rightfully be cold. She said nothing.

Ansem continued, grinning broadly. "My name is also Ansem. But I am the opposite of your Ansem. I..." he paused dramatically, "am the seeker of light!"

If the room hadn't been quiet already, it would have gotten quiet then. Various jaws dropped, most notably Kairi's.

"That was well-said," Mickey commented, although his tone might have held a touch of sarcasm. "I suppose I should fully introduce myself, too. I am King Mickey, but the world I come from is known as the Sovereign's Palace."

"A parallel and an...opposite from the other side of the mirror?" Kairi frowned, not sure how to take this information. _Ansem the seeker of light? So he is trying to help us, then--if he's telling the truth. He IS Ansem, though. But Kiru did mention there being opposites..._

"Exactly," Ansem stated, smiling happily at her.

"But...if you're not really here, then...how are you here?"

Ansem smiled, "Ah, so curious! This is a representation of my physical self--an image, if you will--that I can broadcast to any world I choose. I have a machine, built myself, that allows me to do this. It uses Gummi technology, along with my ability to send dreams. It's quite complicated, really. I-"

"We're actually both on his world," Mickey interrupted, "Ansem can't pinpoint where on a world he's sending his image unless he's been there before, so we had to guess. We knew his sudden appearance in or near the castle would cause somewhat of an uproar, but that couldn't be helped. However, if the king suddenly appeared in the castle after four years, that would have attracted too much attention and brought up too many questions. Once Ansem was in a room and out of the eyes of servants, I used the machine to broadcast my image to his exact location."

"Yes. That is what we did." Ansem frowned slightly, a bit annoyed at Mickey's interruption, but he seemed to realize that Mickey didn't wish for him to give a long explanation.

The room remained quiet, no one really sure how to reply to this information. Ansem continued frowning, now at the unexpected lack of enthusiasm, and decided to just keep talking. "I know we can't prove our identities to you, but we've come to offer you help if you'll take it. Kairi, did Kiru give you the Keyblade?"

_What? How does Ansem know about that?_ Kairi swallowed, realizing her mouth had gone completely dry, and forced her tongue to begin forming words. "He tried to give it to me," she started nervously, unsure of how much she should say to him, "but the Heartless attacked. My world was destroyed, and I haven't seen him since."

Ansem frowned once again, looking down in thought. "He must be searching for you, then. We'll have to wait. There's nothing we can do until you have the White Keyblade."

"You mean he's wandering the worlds?" Mickey asked Ansem, "Do we have any guarantee that he'll ever get here?"

Ansem sighed. "You know I can't contact him, Mickey. But I trust Kiru. He'll get here in time."

Kairi swallowed again and decided to interrupt with the question that had been bothering her ever since Kiru had first appeared. "What am I supposed to do with this White Keyblade?"

Ansem smiled at her. "Of course. One who knows nothing understands nothing. Allow me to explain. Have you...noticed anything that has happened to Sora lately?"

Kairi swallowed hard and inadvertently put a hand over her heart. Looking down, she choked out, "He...lost his heart."

"Yes. And you MIGHT be able to bring him back."

Kairi let out a little gasp, jerking her gaze back up to Ansem's silver eyes. "I...I might...how!?"

"The White Keyblade can restore hearts. And YOU can use the White Keyblade." Ansem frowned. "It would be perfect, if only we knew the location of Sora's heart. If his heart does not survive long enough, you will not be able to restore it. But you do want to try, correct? It would be a meaningful effort."

"Of course I do!" Kairi burst out before she thought about what she was saying. Was she trusting Ansem? What proof did she have that any of what he was saying was true? And did any of this really make sense? "But why me? Why am I the only one who can use the White Keyblade?"

Ansem blinked. "You're not the ONLY one," he replied, "There are two others as well. But we don't know where Sora's heart is, and you are our best hope of finding it."

"So that's the only reason you need me? To save Sora?"

Ansem grinned. "You understand so much. But I will not deceive you. Darkness will not be allowed to sprout within my heart, not even through simple deception." His face took on a proud cast. "I will tell you the truth in everything you ask, even if you don't believe me. You must know to understand. Yes, I need you to save Sora. I need him to open the door to the light. And that he can't do without access to the final Keyhole. For that, we need you as well."

Kairi gasped. "You want...to kidnap the princesses of heart!?"

Ansem's eyes widened in shock. He appeared to be attempting to regain his composure, either because Kairi had figured out his plans or because he really hadn't been thinking along those lines at all. Mickey was trying to suppress his laughter at Ansem's shock, so it seemed more likely to be the latter than the former. "Not kidnap! Never that! If darkness sprouts within a heart, it grows and consumes it. I could gather the princesses of heart, yes. But there is another easier way."

"And that is?"

Ansem smiled at Kairi again. "I know you don't trust me, but I don't hold it against you. I understand the reason."

Kairi couldn't help glaring at him. The emptiness hurt so much...it was hard to think rationally. It was hard to trust someone new, especially someone like HIM, when she had just suffered the greatest possible loss. It was strange to be so harsh, but she knew that it was because she was irrationally blaming this Ansem for Sora's pain. "You didn't answer my question."

"I didn't, did I? I meant to. I apologize. I don't know exactly how it works, but the White Keyblade and its three masters are in some way connected to the final Keyhole. With all three of you and the White Keyblade, we should be able to reveal the final Keyhole."

"So you know the other two White Keyblade Masters?"

"Yes."

"And where to find them?"

"Yes, and no. I know where to find one. I could send a dream to the other, but I don't need to. You will be able to find her."

"What do you mean?"

Ansem sighed. "I suppose I should begin from the beginning."

They spoke for hours. Ansem explained more to them about the mirror, parallels, and opposites. He told them about Kiru, Riku's parallel, and his dreams of the future. And then he told Kairi about her own parallel and that, whenever two parallels existed on the same side of the mirror, they would see each other. So, if Kairi were to cross the mirror, she would see Iraki, her parallel, and from that they would be able to find Iraki. Mickey occasionally interrupted Ansem with his own comments, mostly when Ansem was getting particularly scientific or being too cryptic. Ansem never mentioned the third White Keyblade Master. Instead, he changed the subject to something entirely different.

"Sora does not have a parallel. Instead, he has an opposite named Aros. This Aros pretended to be an ally to Sora. He went with him on his quest. He has a Keyblade as well--the Black Keyblade. And, when Sora least expected it, he used the Black Keyblade to steal Sora's heart."

Ansem's blunt description of that particular situation caused a collective gasp from everyone. Kairi tried desperately not to start crying. Pain lanced through her chest from that empty place. _Sora was tricked. It must have hurt so much..._

"I don't know what gives Aros his power. There must be another force at work within him, but I'm not sure what. What's important is that you do not trust him. He is the enemy, no matter what he says or does."

Kairi found herself nodding before she remembered that she wasn't supposed to be trusting this Ansem. The thought of Aros causing Sora's pain almost made her forget that she didn't know if any of what Ansem was saying was true. Conflicted as to what to think, she simply waited for Ansem to continue.

"There is one thing I would like to know from you."

Kairi looked up and met Ansem's questioning gaze with a slightly skeptical one. "What?"

"On your side of the mirror there is you, Sora, and Riku. On the other side there is Iraki, Aros, and Kiru. As I told you before, Kiru has the power to see the future in his dreams. But on your side of the mirror, Riku is not the one who has that power. At least, I don't believe so. If he did, he shouldn't have been tricked by the darkness the way that he was. I actually doubt that anyone on your side of the mirror has the power to see the future to the extent that Kiru does. It should have been made obvious during your previous adventure if one of you did. But I did notice one thing."

"And that was?"

"When I sent you a dream, something interfered. Kiru's ability makes it impossible for me to send dreams to him. His dreams somehow aren't dreams. I was still able to send you a dream, but it was very hard to do. I believe that your dreams are somehow different as well. I wonder, Kairi, have you ever had any odd dreams?"

Kairi simply stared for a moment. Everyone's eyes were locked on her now. "I...I haven't." _Why was he resisting like this? Why was he trying to hold back the darkness? Who was he--what was he to try to stop it? And why? So Sora stopped struggling and allowed the darkness to engulf him._ "No, that's not true." Kairi took a deep breath. Whether she trusted Ansem or not, she wouldn't lie to them all. And if Ansem knew something, if he could explain it somehow, then maybe it would be worth it. "I did have a dream. I remembered when Sora lost his heart, except this time, I didn't save him, and he was lost in darkness. But that's exactly what happened, isn't it? Sora lost his heart, and I didn't save him."

Ansem nodded, a look of seeming approval on his face. Kairi scowled. "So you see the future, but you see it based on the past. Please watch your dreams, Kairi. Even if you don't see the exact future, you can still find warnings in what you do see. And any warning could be important to our mission."

Kairi lowered her gaze to her lap, wishing she didn't believe him, but knowing, deep down, that it was true. There was no other explanation. This wasn't the first time her dreams had been tied to reality. It hadn't happened often, but it had happened. Why hadn't she ever noticed it before?

"I will watch my dreams," Kairi stated, looking back up at those seated around her. It was the only thing she could think of to say. The queen, Daisy, and the other king were regarding her curiously. Goofy and Donald were both looking at her strangely, as if they somehow saw her differently because of this ability. But maybe it wasn't just that. Here they were in the presence of the queen and...well, the king, too, in a way. She was being highly disrespectful to a guest and firing off questions when the true authorities were quietly listening. She really had changed, even within the last day. The emptiness was eating at her, and Ansem was here, and so was Mickey, and she knew about the future hidden in her dreams. Everything was changing.

"So, what happens now?"

"Now?" Ansem sighed. "We wait for Kiru. And prepare for the attack."

"The attack!?" Donald burst out.

"Yes," Mickey broke in, "An army of Heartless is on its way here. It will arrive in just over a day."


	17. Lost But Still Near

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 17: Lost But Still Near**

"Riku, before we cross the mirror, there's something I'd like to know."

Riku turned to Kiru, who had suddenly stopped just behind him. Kiru had an almost unreadable look on his face--an odd mixture of apprehension, dread, and expectation. Riku frowned, having no idea what Kiru could possibly be about to ask that was bothering him so much. "What is it?"

"Do you know what happened to Sora? Where he is now?"

"Sora?" Riku closed his eyes, struggling to remember. He had gone to Crossroads City to find Sora. And he had found him there. He had...

Riku gasped as memories came flooding back.

* * *

_The Heartless wanted to steal Sora's heart and his Keyblade. That was their mission. But Riku didn't care. Sora had abandoned him--left him alone in that darkness for more than four years. Sora wasn't a friend. He was a betrayer. And Riku would pay him back for it. He would kill him, regardless of what his mission was SUPPOSED to be. Sora's death--that was his only mission._

_First he had needed a weapon. He had found one easily enough--a metal pipe lying in the yard of a half-built house in the Fourth District of Crossroads City. Then he had needed to find Sora. That was easy enough as well. Even though Sora was too far away for Riku to sense his heart, Sora was with Aros, and any Heartless on the same world could sense Aros's presence. His heart **felt **different than any other. It called out over a long distance, and its cry created a sensation that the Heartless could not understand. It was as if his heart were a light made of darkness._

_Riku had followed that cry until he'd found Aros wandering in the First District, looking annoyed. It was obvious that he had lost track of Sora, but in his anger, he had apparently forgotten the easy way to find him. He just needed to ask the Heartless. Sora's heart wasn't as loud as Aros's, but Crossroads City was crawling with Heartless. Some of them had to be near enough to sense the beacon that was Sora's heart. And, now that Riku was in the First District, he was one of them._

_Sora was in an alley not far from where Aros was wandering. Riku jumped on the roof of a building next to the alley. Peering down, he saw Sora lying unconscious below him. Riku thought about seizing this perfect opportunity, but instead he decided to wait. He wanted Sora to be conscious when he took his revenge. Sora needed to feel the pain that Riku was about to inflict._

_After a few moments, Sora opened his eyes, groaning, and sat up. Riku gave him a minute to gather his wits before jumping from the building. He landed directly behind him and, before Sora could react, struck, his metal pipe connecting solidly with the back of Sora's head. Sora hit the ground, the Keyblade flying from his grasp. He tried to fend Riku off with spells, but it was all useless. Riku ignored his own pain, keeping his mind focused on his purpose. He stood on top of Sora, pinning him down, hitting him over the head again and again. Sora was going to die._

_"THUNDAGA!!"_

_Stunned from the attack, Riku barely managed to block the Black Keyblade with his metal pipe. Realizing who it was who was attacking him, he stepped back away from Sora, wondering how he had managed to get so distracted that he hadn't sensed that heart approaching._

_"Sora, are you okay?" Aros called, keeping his gaze trained on Riku. Sora didn't respond. He was unconscious._

_Riku stared at Aros. He was dressed in a blue outfit with flat blond hair and deep brown eyes. Aros was different from Sora in every way, making it painfully obvious what they were--two complete opposites._

_"What did you think you were trying to do?" Aros snarled, "I can tell what you are, and I can't understand why or how you could be going against your mission."_

_"I am a Heartless born of the darkness behind the great door. My free will is my own, and my mission is my own. I don't care what the Heartless want with the Keybearer. I want him dead."_

_Aros frowned, considering him. "You're Riku."_

_Riku nodded._

_"So you've experienced the same darkness that I carry within me."_

_Riku nodded again. Yes. His heart must have been a beacon to the Heartless once, just as Aros's was now. Of course, the heart he had been carrying within him hadn't been his own, but Aros on the other hand...just like Sora, Aros's heart was connected to another. But it certainly wasn't a connection born out of anything resembling love._

_"And you truly are immune to my control," Aros continued._

_"I am not just another Heartless. You have no power over me."_

_"And you're set on taking Sora's life?"_

_"Yes," Riku declared vehemently._

_"I can't let you do that."_

_Riku tensed into a fighting stance. "You have no power over me," he repeated._

_"Then would you be willing to make a deal?"_

_Riku's eyes narrowed. "What kind of deal?"_

_"First, a question. Did you see anyone when you crossed the mirror?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Then you didn't. He must be on the other side."_

_"Who?"_

_Aros smirked. "Your parallel. He's a splitting image of you, minus the blindfold. I had always hoped to meet my opposite"--he gestured to the unconscious Sora--"And I think meeting a parallel would be an even more interesting experience. So I thought I should warn you that, if you're planning to use the mirror, you should do it soon. Because very soon the mirror will be...altered."_

_"So your end of the bargain is a threat."_

_Aros shrugged. "Just thought you should know."_

_"I don't buy your threat."_

_Aros scowled. "Why do you want to kill him, anyway?" he burst out, his anger getting the better of him._

_"I have to make him pay for abandoning me."_

_"Abandoning you?" Aros laughed. "Sora? Why do you think he's trying to reach the door to the light? Sometimes I feel like he's more worried about saving you than stopping the darkness!"_

_"You lie!" Riku burst out. Sora wasn't trying to save him. Sora had deserted him. He knew it. He KNEW it. That was why Sora had to die._

_Aros smirked. "I think this just determined the terms of our deal."_

_"Oh?"_

_"Give me a chance to prove to you that Sora hasn't changed. If he has, you can kill him. If not, you have no reason to."_

_"And how do you plan to prove that?"_

_"Do you know how Sora found and sealed the Keyhole in Traverse Town?"_

_"No."_

_"Then I'll tell you."_

* * *

There was no impact. Iraki backed away, shaking, hands still full of containers of food, but the Heartless had stopped in the middle of its attack, simply dropping to the ground on all fours. As she stared at it, she thought for an instant that within those yellow eyes she saw a flash of blue. But the instant passed, and the yellow eyes narrowed in anger again. The Heartless coiled back to strike, and Iraki pulled her mind back to reality, forcing her legs to move as she did the only thing she could think to: she fled.

The Heartless was faster than she was. It didn't surprise her. Fleeing was useless, of course, but in that instant she hadn't been able to think of anything else to do. She couldn't cast any spells with her hands full, and she couldn't drop the food without waking Aros, who, to her knowledge, was still fast asleep. She hoped that she could at least get out of the house and away from Aros before the Heartless caught her.

It was strange. She had known Aros all her life, and she had never actually met Sora. Even so, she was more afraid of Aros than she was of the Heartless. She had watched Aros abuse it while it simply stood by and took it, and it had only attacked her twice. The first time she had stopped it, and this time it had stopped itself. It had never harmed her.

But Aros... He hadn't harmed her yet either, but he had shown such anger when he had spotted her that it had been terrifying to behold. Even though the Heartless had shown a hunger that was similarly unnerving, it hadn't shown that sort of aggression. And the Heartless was just a creature. Aros was a person--a person she had known for her entire life. _You'll always stick with me, right Iraki?_ He was a person who... _Because...because I don't think I could stand it if you weren't with me._

_He was a person who was in love with me. But now...now I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to kill me. And that...that scares me more than the threat of a Heartless ever could._

Iraki could hear the footsteps of the Heartless bounding across the floor behind her, slowly closing in. But, as she pushed open the door, crossed the threshold, and ran out into the sunny morning, the footsteps abruptly stopped.

Iraki ran a bit farther, crossing the deserted street, before she dared to look back. When she finally did turn and look to the still-open doorway, she saw the Heartless standing there, staring at her with a hungry longing. It turned its gaze into the room, presumably toward Aros. It took a step inside, then stopped. Then it turned back toward her. Then it turned back inside.

It took Iraki a moment to understand why the Heartless was acting like that. Then she remembered Aros's words before he went to sleep. _You are not going to move from this house until I do. Understood?_ _It wants to chase me, but it won't disobey Aros. It's thinking of waking him but afraid to. So, unless Aros wakes up, I'm safe here._

Iraki sat down on the curb with a grateful sigh, keeping an eye on the Heartless in case it did decide to take a risk and wake Aros up. She set the packages of food down beside her. She thought of eating another strawberry, but now that she had connected thoughts of Kiru to the taste of strawberries, she was afraid to eat more. She couldn't allow herself to get that distracted again. So she opened the meat and cheese instead, taking a few grateful bites to the obvious pleasure of her stomach. For a few minutes Iraki and the Heartless remained this way--Iraki sitting on the curb, enjoying her biggest meal in a day, and the Heartless standing in the doorway, its mind jumping between its options and, finding a flaw in each of them, completely unable to decide on any course of action.

Then the meat and cheese were gone, and Iraki looked down longingly at the container of strawberries. She had no real reason not to eat them, and, if anything, it would be a waste of food if she didn't. Iraki thought again of the meager provisions in her backpack. They could be gone in no time if she didn't seize opportunities like these. _Just try to keep your mind on Aros and the Heartless. Keep it on the present, and you can keep from being distracted by the past._

Iraki opened the container and picked up the half-eaten strawberry she had been enjoying before. She took another small bite, her eyes trained on the Heartless the entire time. But she couldn't stop the memories.

_It's nice to be just the two of us sometimes. _ She felt tears welling up in her eyes. She picked up another strawberry. _Iraki, if you ever get a chance to go back to where you came from, we'd go together, right? _ She took a bite, the first tear trailing down her cheek. _You look really beautiful today, Iraki._ She took a second bite, more of that tasty juice flooding her mouth as her tears came down faster. _I'm glad you're getting better at fighting. It's just that I wish you didn't have to. I want to protect you myself. Always._

"Kiru..." Iraki whispered. She let both her half-eaten strawberry and the container slip from her grasp, the container spilling on the ground, and buried her face in her hands, her tears flowing freely between her fingers.

She sat this way for a few moments, completely unmindful of the Heartless still watching her and the sleeping Aros who could potentially awaken at any time. But after those few moments she finally got her crying under control. _Stop being so weak, Iraki. It's not like you'll never see him again. You don't know how this will end._ She sat up, wiping her eyes to clear them. The Heartless stood in the doorway just as before, its yellow eyes showing no emotion other than a painful longing and hunger. She sighed, relieved that it hadn't moved. _I can't let my emotions jeopardize this mission. That would be failing Kiru. If my...breakdown had caused me to be seen by Aros, I...I don't know what I would have done. I would have hated myself. I have to be more careful. I have to be stronger than that._

Iraki looked down at the overturned carton of strawberries. Most had rolled out onto the pavement, but three were still in the carton. She almost kicked the carton away but stopped herself. _No. I shouldn't waste the food. I'll prove that I'm stronger by eating those strawberries without getting distracted or...crying again._

She picked up the carton, her hand shaking. She willed it to stop. The shaking only slowed. She knew that this was all completely irrational--a combination of lack of sleep, lack of food, and too much emotional trauma in too short a period of time--but it didn't make it any less trying or impossible to resist. She was having a complete emotional breakdown at the worst possible time, and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

Iraki pulled out a strawberry, taking a large bite in an attempt to finish it quickly. She locked her eyes on the yellow eyes of the Heartless, trying to hold her mind on her current plight and, more exactly, Sora's plight. _This is what I have to do now. Keeping track of Sora is my responsibility. I don't know why, but that's what Kiru told me to do. I can't fail Kiru. I can't fail Sora._

She popped the rest of the strawberry into her mouth, trying to ignore its sweet taste. _Iraki, what's wrong? Don't cry because I got burned. It's my fault the spell backfired anyway. And it doesn't hurt that much. It's not worth your tears._

_Kiru needs me to be focused on the present. I can't lose myself in the past. I can't!_

Iraki picked up a second strawberry, taking a big bite and attempting to chew without tasting it. _I know that Aros is stronger than I am. I deserved to lose to him. Please don't yell at him. It's only a small wound. If I were stronger, he wouldn't be able to wound me._ _Kiru...you worked so hard at learning to fight. I only hope you're still safe...NO! It's Sora I have to worry about now. He's the one who's in danger, stuck without his heart and taking orders from Aros. The present, Iraki. Keep your mind on the present._ She took another bite. She could feel the tears in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. _Don't worry, Iraki. Maybe this dream won't come true. There's no need for me to tell you about it. I don't want you worrying, too._ Iraki popped the rest of the strawberry into her mouth. Only one left. But her tears were already beginning to fall. _I know what that dream was now. He must have seen Sora losing his heart. That's why it upset him so much and why he didn't tell me. He couldn't tell me something that terrible._

She picked up the last strawberry, her hand shaking furiously. _That's why he was so worried about sending me to follow Sora. He knew what I would have to witness. But he sent me anyway. He must have thought that I could handle it. I can handle it. I have to!_

She took a large bite of the strawberry, defiantly staring the Heartless in the eyes and trying to keep her mind focused on what a contrast that blank, hungry yellow was from Sora's innocent blue. _But I thought the Heartless's eyes were blue for an instant when he stopped his attack. How could that have happened? Without his heart, he can't be Sora. Does that mean...does that mean Sora's heart is near? But if it's near, where is it? Maybe...maybe he'll be all right after all. Maybe his heart wasn't devoured. Is that why I'm following him? So I can find his heart?_

Iraki had finished the strawberry before she even realized what she was doing. Smiling brightly at this triumph, she discarded the container and began considering her next move. Aros certainly wouldn't sleep forever, and Iraki was extremely exhausted. She needed to sleep, too, but how could she risk it when the Heartless could point her out the moment Aros awoke? _I could move until I'm out of sight, cast Invisible again, and then come back so I'll be near enough to hear them when they get ready to leave. But what if Invisible runs out while I'm sleeping? Or what if they leave and I never hear them? But I think it's the only choice I have. It would do me no good to faint from exhaustion. I'll sleep against the wall right outside the door. That way I can't help but wake up when they start moving around. First, I just have to make myself invisible again._

Iraki stood and started walking down the street, hoping to find a space between the houses where she could slip through and escape the Heartless's gaze. It was watching her every move from the doorway, so, even if she cast Invisible, it would still be able to see her.

Iraki finally found what appeared to be a side street and turned down it. It was a very small space between two towering buildings that cast the road completely in shadow despite the bright sun overhead. Iraki had walked halfway down the "side street" before she realized that it was really only an alley that dead-ended in a brick wall not far ahead. _I wonder if the Heartless is still watching? He'll see me if I just come out of the same alley that I went in. I'll have to find a different side street to go down and come back up even another. I hope I don't have to walk too far, but I can't risk-_

Noises interrupted Iraki's thoughts. Keeping to the shadows of the alley, she stepped forward and peered out into the sunlit street.

A group of Heartless was walking down the street. It was a somewhat large group, with about ten shadows, five dark balls, and seven soldiers. They were headed in the direction from which Iraki had come--toward the house where Aros was sleeping.

_What an opportunity! When they pass the alley, they'll distract the Heartless, and I can slip out unseen._ Iraki carefully took a few steps forward, waiting tensely at the edge of the alley as she watched the Heartless go by. Peering down the street to where the Heartless that was Sora stood in the doorway, she could tell that it was looking in her direction. Hopefully its gaze was following the Heartless and not watching for her.

The Heartless had passed her now. "Invisible," she whispered and darted out of the alley, keeping a bit of space between herself and the group so that the Heartless that was Sora wouldn't unintentionally catch a glimpse of her.

But, sadly, Iraki's plan backfired. As the group of Heartless neared the house, the Heartless in the doorway started motioning frantically to them. It made a series of gestures, and Iraki could only assume that it was communicating either through the gestures or through some sort of telepathic ability. But it quickly became apparent to her what the Heartless had said. It had told the other Heartless that there was a girl that Aros wanted. And it had told them that that girl was standing directly behind them.

As one the Heartless turned around, all their gazes locking onto her. She had not escaped the view of the Heartless that was Sora after all. Choking back a scream, Iraki called the Silver Keyblade to her hand. More than twenty Heartless were charging at her, but she had to at least try to defend herself. All she could do was hope that, maybe somehow, she would be able to fend them off.


	18. A Weakened Heart

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 18: A Weakened Heart  
**

_Riku and Aros worked out all the arrangements. When Sora regained consciousness, Aros would go off to "get help," but really he would be sending the Opposite Armor away. Once Aros had returned to Sora and the two of them were on their way to the Hotel, Riku would ring the bell above the Gizmo Shop three times. That would get Sora's attention and allow him to seal the Keyhole--if he really was the same Sora. If not, he wouldn't bother to seal the world. Riku readily agreed to the plan, although in actuality he was planning to kill Sora the moment Aros was out of sight._

_But that idea didn't work out. A young man with a sword and woman with a staff stopped his assault and healed Sora. Watching Sora interact with them, Riku began to wonder if Sora really could be the same. Curiosity getting the better of him, and an emotion deep inside that he was struggling to suppress, Riku decided that he would comply with Aros's deal after all. And when Sora did seal the Keyhole, well...that emotion stirred again inside Riku. Before he changed his mind and went after Sora, Riku forced himself to hurry off to the mirror to find his parallel._

_After all, Aros had given him a guarantee that, even though Sora would be permitted to live, he certainly wouldn't be left unharmed. Aros was going to steal Sora's heart and his Keyblade, and then...then Aros would have complete control over the mirror._

* * *

"Aros...stole Sora's heart." Riku kept his eyes downcast. He suddenly felt terribly empty inside. How could he have forgotten such an awful event? How could he have allowed it to happen!? "I didn't see Aros do it, but I know that he planned to. He must have by now. Sora...must be gone."

"It did happen," Kiru stated. Riku raised his eyes in alarm, but Kiru was looking away. "I..." Kiru took a deep breath. "I see the future in my dreams. I see it over and over again right up until it actually happens. That dream...I saw lots of times. The last time was the night when you arrived. Since then...I've had a new dream instead. So that dream must have already come true."

Kiru didn't say any more, and from the anguished look in his eyes Riku knew not to ask. Kiru's power to see the future in his dreams explained one thing, at least. It had to be the reason that Kiru sometimes spoke in a different voice. Also, Kiru's injunction for Riku to take care of this "Iraki" had to have something to do with the new dream he had mentioned. _What did he see? He's still injured... Is something going to happen to him? He won't tell me because he's the one in danger. I understand._

"We'd better get going," Kiru broke into Riku's thoughts. Kiru started walking again, his face turned forward so as not to make eye contact with Riku. Riku started walking too, falling into step beside him.

And here they were already. The Secret Waterway--and the mirror. Riku stepped forward toward the mural that would turn into the clear surface of the mirror at a touch. His eyes were so trained on it that it took him a moment to realize that Kiru had stopped again. He turned to find Kiru eyeing the mirror warily, and only then did the significance of some of what he had remembered occur to him. "The mirror... Aros was planning to steal Sora's Keyblade. He said he could use it to control the mirror."

Kiru pulled his eyes from the mirror and shifted his gaze to Riku. "The Silver Keyblade can unlock the mirror, so maybe...maybe it can control it, too. If Aros has control...then it truly is dangerous to use. But...what other choice do we have?" Kiru's voice had grown quiet for his last statement, but the emotion behind his words was easy for Riku to hear. "We have to get the White Keyblade to Kairi. We have to."

Riku frowned, realizing that Kiru never had told him the reason behind this mission. But it almost didn't matter anymore. This was something that Kiru was willing to risk EVERYTHING for, and that was enough to convince Riku that this mission was serious and something that HAD to be done.

"Wait." Kiru seemed lost in thought. Riku waited, his gaze flicking nervously between Kiru and the mirror. If this mission was so urgent, they needed to make a decision now.

"From my dream," Kiru began. His voice caught. This was obviously a subject that he didn't often discuss. "From my dream, I think that any...malfunction that may occur must be quickly cleared up. We were both there in the dream, and so was a girl. It was either Kairi or...Iraki"--Kiru swallowed hard--"I don't know which. But we must get SOMEWHERE and meet SOMEONE, so, even if the mirror is being controlled by Aros, it must still work. And...we were about to cross the mirror again in the dream. I think it must be at least relatively safe."

"Like you said," Riku broke in, "What choice do we have?"

Kiru smiled at Riku gratefully, the pain still showing in his eyes. Thinking about that dream _hurt_.

Riku smiled tentatively back. "Let's go."

Kiru nodded, stepping up beside Riku. Together, they approached the mirror and stepped through...

* * *

For the rest of the afternoon the castle was in an uproar. Although no one openly admitted whether or not they actually trusted Ansem and the new Mickey, everyone immediately began preparing the castle's forces to defend against a massive attack. Donald and Goofy justified their decision to help direct this preparation by pointing out that Mickey's letter to Sora had specifically asked them to keep the castle safe for him. They, of course, would not chance failing their king, even if all they were defending against was a rumor.

Ansem and Mickey gave many suggestions about battle strategies, and, although the queen made it clear that she was giving the orders and her word was final, she seemed to take all the advice that the visitors gave her.

Kairi spent the day in somewhat of a daze. Naturally, she had nothing to contribute when it came to battle strategies, but the queen kept Kairi with the group at all times while they formed their plans and made their preparations. Kairi wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe Queen Minnie wanted her to be aware of everything that was going on, or maybe she wanted to keep an eye on Kairi to make sure that her mental state stayed somewhat stable. Kairi reasoned that it was probably the latter.

The afternoon passed into evening. Within the day, the castle had been transformed into a heavily-guarded stronghold. Even though Ansem and the king said that the attack wouldn't come until the next day, Queen Minnie was not willing to take any chances.

As the sky darkened, Kairi noticed that the king was becoming more and more agitated. At one point Ansem put a hand on his shoulder. "You have to trust Kiru. He'll be here. I know it."

"I know that he would be here if he could be," Mickey replied, "but I just can't understand how you can be sure. He doesn't even know that Kairi is here, does he? How would he know to come here to find her?"

"He'll be here," Ansem insisted.

Mickey sighed, but then his expression seemed to turn somewhat hopeful. "Of course he'll be here in time. Because we're going to hold off the attack until he gets here, so when he gets here isn't even an issue."

"Have faith."

"I do. We'll make it work out somehow."

Ansem grinned. "This is exactly why I brought you along."

"Is there anything more that you can tell us?" Minnie broke in.

Mickey sighed resignedly. "I do have a request."

Minnie raised an eyebrow at his reluctant demeanor. "Yes?"

"Ansem brought me with him because I am a military strategist, like your husband. I want to help you lead your troops."

Minnie didn't even hesitate. She nodded. "Of course."

Kairi stifled a slight gasp. She still wasn't ready to fully trust Ansem or the second King Mickey, but, of course, to Minnie the king looked and sounded just like her husband. Kairi thought about saying something, but she doubted that questioning the queen would help matters. Also, she knew that her own doubts were more based on her personal inner pain than on any proof given by either Ansem or Mickey. They really seemed to be nothing but helpful. It was the emptiness inside her that made her think otherwise.

"You should probably come with me, then. We should work out exactly how we're going to run this ahead of time."

"Good plan."

Minnie and Mickey both stood. Minnie turned to leave the room but immediately turned back, having almost forgotten her duties as queen and as a hostess. "The rest of you are free to spend the night as you like. Just please do not leave the castle. And Goofy, would you mind showing Ansem to his room?"

"Not a problem, Yer Majesty," Goofy stated, giving a little bow.

Minnie smiled. "Good night, then, everyone." She left the room, Mickey trailing close behind her.

The minute the door had closed, Ansem turned to Goofy. "Does this castle have a library?" he questioned.

"Of course!" Goofy responded proudly, "It's a real big one. Lotsa rare books."

Ansem's silver eyes seemed to light up. "Would you mind showing me the locations of both my room and the library?"

"Well sure, Ans-umm...I mean, Yer Majesty."

Kairi couldn't help but cringe. She had almost forgotten that Ansem was a king as well.

Ansem smiled warmly. "Thank you very much," he stated, standing. He turned his attention to Kairi, Daisy, and Donald. "It was very nice to meet you all. I hope you all sleep well tonight."

"Nice to meet you, too," Daisy echoed. Donald simply sat sullenly, as usual, and Kairi attempted to keep her face emotionless. "Good night," she forced out.

Ansem smiled and bowed slightly. Goofy led him out.

"Well, that was certainly interesting," Daisy commented. She was met with silence. "I guess it's time we all head off, too. Come on, Donald." She stood and began to head for the door. "Good night, Kairi. Sweet dreams."

Kairi couldn't help but flinch at the word "dreams," but Daisy had her back turned anyway. Donald scurried to catch up with the other duck, a sight that would have made Kairi laugh if it weren't for her sullen mood and the unceasing pain in her chest. "Good night!" Kairi called as the two disappeared through the door, leaving her sitting alone in the meeting room.

Kairi stood and headed out as well, hoping she wouldn't have to wander for too long before finding her way back to Sora's room. The others seemed to have forgotten that she, too, had just recently arrived at the castle.

Kairi didn't really have to worry, though. It didn't take her long to make it to Sora's room. She only made one wrong turn along the way, and she quickly realized that she was in an unfamiliar hall and easily back-tracked.

Once in Sora's room, Kairi shut the door and immediately threw herself onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow. _I need you with me, Sora. Now, more than ever, I need you with me. Don't let your promise be a lie. Please don't let your promise be a lie._

But the pain of emptiness in Kairi's chest was unrelenting. She cried herself to sleep, sprawled across the bed fully-clothed, face smothered in that pillow, trying in vain to catch some faint trace of Sora's scent. He had stayed in that room for four years, and even from there his presence was completely erased.

* * *

They stepped out of the mirror, going from the Secret Waterway in Traverse Town to the Secret Waterway in Crossroads City. Kiru simply stared for a moment, surprised to be standing in the same room but to have everything completely flipped. "I was thinking of Iraki," he mused to himself, unaware that he was speaking out loud, "I wonder if that means she's here?"

"She probably is," Riku stated, breaking into Kiru's thoughts, "But we don't really have time to find her, do we?"

Kiru turned to his parallel, still standing beside him, and smiled wistfully. "I know. It was just...a thought. We'd better head back across the mirror and find Kairi."

"Will you be able to keep your mind on her?"

Riku's face was impassive, but Kiru scowled at his obvious implications. "Don't worry. When it comes to my mission, I will be focused."

Riku nodded, and, although Kiru wasn't sure why, the gesture seemed to exude a confidence, as if Riku were trying to show that he believed in Kiru.

"Are you ready?" Riku asked.

Kiru nodded, and together they both turned back to the mirror.

But the sight was not at all what they had expected. A flood of Heartless was now starting to pour out of every inch of the mirror's surface. Kiru and Riku backed up as one, summoning their respective Keyblades to their right hands and crouching in identical offensive stances.

The first wave of Heartless was on them immediately, and more were still pouring out of the mirror. Kiru watched as Riku cut easily through the Heartless with the Golden Keyblade. At the same time, Kiru himself was struggling fiercely with the White Keyblade, hitting the Heartless again and again as hard as he could but hardly having any success at all. In moments his swings were already beginning to slow. He was tired. Exhausted. The White Keyblade was heavy in his hand.

And more Heartless were still pouring out of the mirror.

"We're going to have to fight our way to the mirror!" Riku yelled, "If we both think of Kairi, we'll both get to the world where she is, even if we don't go through together!"

"Exactly what...I was thinking!" Kiru yelled back, his voice catching in his throat. He was already out of breath. How was he ever going to make his way through the Heartless and to the mirror? His heart was pounding in his ears. The ache had gotten worse. And he was so tired...

"Kiru, are you okay?" Riku called, apparently having noticed the breathlessness in Kiru's voice.

Kiru thought about yelling that he was fine, but he knew that in this situation he should swallow his pride. "Riku, I don't think...I have the strength...I'm sorry."

The Heartless were all over him now, and any glimpse of Riku was lost in that sea of black. Claws were tearing at him from all sides. Kiru tried to fend them off, to fight against them, but all he could feel was complete weakness in all of his limbs. He felt ready to collapse. He was about to drop the White Keyblade. There was nothing he could do.

_No! I have to keep fighting! How can I possibly give up already? Why do I feel so completely unable to fight the Heartless?_

"Kiru, I'm coming!" Riku shouted.

But Kiru didn't even hear him. He was swept off his feet by the flow of Heartless, and he concentrated all his energy on dismissing the White Keyblade before it was forced from his grasp. The back of his head smacked the pavement when he landed, almost exactly on his welt, and Kiru saw stars. The Heartless swarmed on top of him instantly, pinning him to the ground.

And then the worst happened. A Heartless sunk its claws into his chest.

Kiru screamed in pain as cold fingers reached inside him, wrapping themselves around his heart. The last of his strength disappeared from his limbs, and all he could do was lie there and scream as the fingers began to pull.

Kiru tried to resist, to keep that most precious object from being taken from his chest, but pain was exploding within him. There was nothing to hold onto.

And in that last moment Kiru realized what was wrong with him. He knew that he had weakened his own heart by trying to heal Riku with the White Keyblade. That was why he couldn't fight the Heartless. The power of a person's heart was their true weapon against the Heartless, and his heart had no power left. There was absolutely nothing that he could do.

"IRAKI!" Kiru screamed as he felt his heart slowly begin to emerge from his chest. His body grew limp, and his vision faded to darkness.


	19. Watching Over You

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 19: Watching Over You  
**

The Heartless were on her in an instant. Iraki slashed viciously with the Silver Keyblade, trying not to panic and keeping her training firmly in mind. _You know how to fight, Iraki. You know how to fight._

She fought the best she could ever remember fighting, allowing anger and desperation to control her movements. Five of the Heartless were quickly reduced to nothing, but that left more than fifteen. No matter how well she fought, she knew there was no possible way she could take them all out. But she tried to make herself believe otherwise. She HAD to win this fight. If she lost her heart, then the Silver Keyblade would be free for Aros's taking.

A soldier tackled Iraki from behind, slamming her to the ground. She kept the Silver Keyblade clutched tightly in her hand and attempted to bend her wrist so that she could strike at the soldier on her back.

Her flexibility came in handy, and the soldier was caught completely off guard when the Silver Keyblade connected with its head. In its moment of distraction, Iraki jerked her body, sending it tumbling off her back. Iraki scrambled to her feet, slashing at the other Heartless that were converging on her. She was right in the midst of them, and any second they would have her on the ground again.

Iraki felt ready to give up. She gave a desperate swing, hoping to destroy another Heartless through sheer force, and felt Sora's charm bounce against her chest. _That's right. I can't give up. If I lose...then Sora really is lost. And that CAN'T happen. There has to be something...something I can do..._

And suddenly Iraki felt something stir within her--a knowledge that was not her own. The Silver Keyblade grew warm in her hand, and she cried out in a loud voice echoing with the only slightly familiar voice of another, "Ars Arcanum!"

Iraki struck at the Heartless again and again with a speed she didn't even know she possessed. Energy crackled around the Keyblade, and dimly in the back of her mind, Iraki knew that she was using it, truly using it in a way that she shouldn't have been able to. _Sora...Sora is **here**._

All the rest of the Heartless were quickly destroyed. Iraki dismissed the Keyblade and, breathing hard, leaned against the front of the house beside her. It felt as if all her magic energy had just been drained, not to mention her strength. But despite her fatigue, Iraki grinned. She had done it; she had _really_ done it! And, more than that, she now knew for sure that Sora's heart was near her. She didn't know where it was, but he was definitely watching over her, and for that she was grateful.

And in this moment of triumph, with the adrenaline rush of battle having passed, Iraki's neglected physical needs finally caught up with her. She stumbled once and caught herself, only then realizing that her body had reached its limit and gone past it. It was already too late to prevent the inevitable. Unable to retain consciousness any longer, Iraki collapsed in a heap on the ground.

The Heartless that was Sora continued to watch her from the nearby house, waiting for Aros to awaken.

* * *

Destiny Islands was about to be destroyed. Kiru held the White Keyblade out toward Kairi, desperately trying to get her to take it before the Heartless swarmed over them. Kairi, still afraid and confused, but knowing that she had no more time to think, finally did as he desired. She reached out and accepted the White Keyblade. However, the Heartless tackled them both instantly afterwards, and Kairi felt the Keyblade fly from her grasp.

_No!_ The Heartless were all over her. She was weaponless, and she didn't know how to fight. Kiru had completely disappeared from her view. She could see nothing but a sea of black. Claws were raking her from all sides, and Kairi could do nothing but cry out in pain.

This part of the dream was not a surprise to Kairi. She had lived through all of this before. But everything suddenly changed as Kairi's dream of the past became a premonition of the future.

"No!" Although Kairi could no longer see Kiru through the Heartless, she heard his cry clearly, even over her own screams. "I'll save you!"

And then Kairi watched in absolute horror as the scene continued to unfold before her. In the end, all the Heartless disappeared, leaving Kairi to gape in terror and sadness at what Kiru had done in an act of desperation to save her--and what it had cost him.

* * *

"IRAKI!"

After that last scream, Kiru grew quiet. His silence terrified Riku more than his cries had.

"Kiru, hold on!" Riku tried to catch some glimpse of Kiru within the flood of Heartless. He couldn't see Kiru himself, but instead caught sight of a pale, flickering light. Riku's eyes widened. "No..."

Riku began slashing even more desperately against the Heartless. He had to get to Kiru, and he had to there NOW. But his mind was telling him that it was already too late. No... After all this, I can't lose him now. Not after he weakened his own heart to save ME. I won't lose him!

The Golden Keyblade exploded in light, sending a wave of energy pouring through the Heartless. Suddenly they were all gone, and Riku had a full view of Kiru's limp form lying on the ground, the faint, flicking light of his heart visible half-removed from his chest. His open eyes were staring blankly at the sky.

Riku scrambled over to Kiru, dismissing the Golden Keyblade, and scooped his fallen friend up in his arms. He turned toward the mirror only to see more Heartless pouring out of it. _I have to get back across before there are too many..._

At Riku's touch, Kiru's eyes seemed to come to life for a second. He looked up at Riku in surprise and smiled weakly.

Riku smiled back, trying to look confident. "Just hold on. I'm going to get help."

Kiru nodded slightly, but then he abruptly grew limp again, his smile fading and his eyes going blank. Riku dashed toward the mirror, plowing through the new wave of Heartless. Claws raked across his body, but Riku ignored them. Just before passing through the mirror, he remembered the one most important thing. He couldn't risk their getting separated in the crossing. "Kiru, think of Kairi."

Kiru's eyes remained blank. Riku hesitated, just on the verge of passing through the mirror. He dug his feet into the ground, trying to keep from being plowed over by the Heartless. "Kiru! Kiru, we're going through the mirror. Please, just for a minute, think of Kairi. You can. You have to!"

Kiru's eyes came to life. Riku immediately pushed off as hard as he could, practically diving through the mirror. At the last second he remembered to turn his own mind to Kairi. As he pictured her, just the way that he remembered her looking when he last saw her, it finally sunk in that he was about to see her again. It had been four years. What would she be like now?

Riku felt himself break through the surface of the mirror. The claws suddenly disappeared, and Riku was now submerged. He kicked hard, disoriented for a moment, before he broke the surface. There was land just in front of him, and Riku lifted Kiru up to it and set him carefully down before dragging himself to the shore.

They were in a cave of smooth black stone. The mirror was apparently a pond on this world, its crystal clear surface giving a perfect view of the pond's smooth stone bottom. No one would know that the pond was really the mirror unless they touched it.

Through the entrance to the cave, Riku could see rolling green hills and a palace in the distance. Riku pulled himself to his feet and carefully picked Kiru back up. Kiru's eyes were blank again. Riku could only hope that their thoughts had brought them to the right place. _But even if I do find Kairi, how can I help Kiru? There has to be something I can do... Kiru's injury is because he restored MY heart. I won't lose him. I won't!_ "Kiru, we're through the mirror. I'm going to find help. Don't give up!"

Kiru's eyes came back to life again. He opened his mouth, coughing up the water of the pond. "Riku..." he choked out. His voice was thin and weak, barely a whisper. Riku leaned toward him, trying to catch his words. "I have...I have the White Keyblade."

"Okay," was all Riku could think of to say. He didn't know why Kiru was telling him this, but it seemed to be very important to him.

Kiru began to smile at Riku's response, but the corners of his lips had barely begun to turn up when he abruptly grew limp again, his blue eyes going blank.

"Kiru, stay with me."

Kiru didn't respond.

"Kiru? Kiru, don't give up now!"

Kiru's eyes remained blank. Riku gasped as he visibly saw Kiru's pale, flickering heart move a bit farther out of his chest. "Kiru, just hold on! Please!"

Still no response. Riku took off at a run from the cave.

* * *

Iraki awoke to what had to be the most frightening sight of her life. Aros was standing over her, Black Keyblade drawn and pointing at her chest. "Give me the Silver Keyblade," he snarled, his eyes glinting with hatred, "I won't hesitate to take your heart to get it!"

Iraki scrambled to a sitting position against the building next to her. She was somewhat groggy, and it took her a moment to remember what had happened and to comprehend what was happening. The Heartless that was Sora had sent a group of Heartless after her. Somehow she had been able to use the Silver Keyblade to defeat them, but after that...

After that she had passed out with the Heartless that was Sora still watching her. Aros must have awakened, and the Heartless must have brought him to her. And now he had her cornered. _But why didn't he just take me down while I was unconscious? Why would he give me the opportunity to give him the Silver Keyblade when taking my heart would have accomplished the same thing? Could it be? Could some part of the Aros that I knew still exist?_

"You know I'm not very patient."

At his icy tone, Iraki felt her hopes come crashing down. "Tell me why," she choked out, staring up at those brown eyes and trying to find some trace of Aros's previous affection. Her search was in vain.

"Why?" Aros laughed. "Do you know what I can do with that Keyblade? Can you even understand? I can manipulate the mirror, Iraki. Did you see Sora lock Crossroads City? I can unlock it again, and it could be destroyed. I can make sure that every world is open to darkness and that the door to the light ALWAYS remains closed. Can't you see how wonderful it would be? The entire universe could return to darkness. The light would no longer even have a chance. Every heart, every world would have to return to the darkness from whence it came."

"Aros...what happened to you?"

Aros glared at her, and Iraki couldn't help but shrink back from the intense anger of his gaze. "The light is nothing, Iraki. It is weak and imperfect. But darkness is absolute. Don't you want a universe without pain? Without suffering?"

"Without love?" Iraki whispered.

Aros's eyes hardened in determination and intense desire. "Yes. Without love."

Iraki bowed her head in resignation. A tear slid down her cheek. This was the proof. The Aros she had known was completely and irrevocably gone. "I pity you."

Rage filled Aros's eyes again. "Pity me!? Pity me for my dream of a painless life? A life where everything is at peace, where the universe is _perfect_? Of course I want a universe without love! What does love ever bring except pain!? What do those you love ever do but betray you!? Love...love is the very FIRST thing I want to see destroyed!! And you...I want YOUR pity least of all. You are the worst thing that EVER happened to me!"

For an instant, Iraki sat stunned. Then a flood of tears came pouring down her face. "I'm sorry, Aros. I'm sorry that this happened to you because of me. But I...I know you aren't you anymore. And my mission still stands. I can't help you--I WON'T help you destroy the universe and doom everything. I will do everything I can to stop you."

A flash of sadness passed through Aros's eyes before they hardened again. "Then I have no other choice. Good-bye, _dear_ Iraki."

Aros plunged the Black Keyblade toward Iraki's chest.

"Iraki!" cried a familiar voice heard only in Iraki's mind.

The Silver and Black Keyblades collided, a clang resounding as they hit and each shaking so much at the impact that both fighters almost lost their grips on their weapons.

Aros's eyes narrowed. "You would fight me? After always pretending that I mattered to you? You would really reveal yourself as the liar and fake that you are?"

"The Aros that I knew is gone, and I would gladly fight you!" Iraki declared, her tears abruptly stopping. Now was the time for strength. _That voice that called to me was Sora's. And the Silver Keyblade is warm again. Maybe...maybe there is a way out of this._

Aros lowered his Keyblade and took a step back. "Then prove it. Get up and duel me."

Iraki didn't hesitate. This was the only answer--her only way out with her heart still intact. She stood, Silver Keyblade held ready with both hands, crouching slightly in a fighting stance that she couldn't possibly have known, but she knew who the knowledge came from.

Aros scowled at her, apparently recognizing Iraki's stance as well. "I think I understand now," he stated, "But if you think he's going to help you, remember who defeated him. I'm not sure where that heart of his is, but it can't save you. Nothing can."

"It doesn't matter. I won't just give up!"

"Then your destruction is your own choice!" Aros charged toward Iraki, Black Keyblade held high, and struck at her with all his might.

Iraki blocked, moving as if by instinct. The Keyblades reflected off each other with another resounding clang, shaking hard enough that Iraki and Aros had to hold on tight to keep from dropping them. Iraki was stunned that she had effectively blocked such a fierce, well-aimed attack. Aros's skill with the Black Keyblade was obvious. He had always been amazing at fighting. She remembered that Kiru had rarely beaten him, even when they were both young. There was only one explanation for her sudden improvement in combat skills.

_Sora...thank you. I won't give up fighting, no matter how bad it gets. I won't abandon my mission, whatever it takes. Whatever happens to me!_

Aros struck again, and Iraki again blocked the blow. The Keyblades reflected off each other, and Iraki had to take a step back from the force of the rebound. Aros seemed unfazed. He was smirking.

_I have to distract him somehow, to find some sort of opportunity to run away. I'm faster than Aros, at least. If I had even a second, maybe I could escape._

Iraki struck this time, surprising herself with the force of her blow. Aros seemed surprised at her strike as well. He blocked the blow deftly, but it got very close before he stopped it and the Keyblades rebounded off each other.

"Sora's influence IS helping you. I suppose I should keep in mind that it's not you I'm fighting. Maybe I should actually try a bit."

Iraki's eyes narrowed. Knowing that Aros would strike next, she pulled her Keyblade up to block.

Iraki had overanticipated Aros's move. Seeing her pull the Silver Keyblade up, Aros struck low. Iraki jumped backwards, the Black Keyblade catching her just slightly across the stomach. She let out a cry of pain but immediately shifted back into her--Sora's--fighting stance. Aros struck at her again. She blocked the blow as before, and the Keyblades rebounded. Iraki was barely able to keep her grip on the shaking Silver Keyblade, but at the same time she was grateful for the delay between attacks. Iraki knew that Aros was stronger than she was, and, without the rebound, she wasn't sure that she would be able to block his blows.

Aros struck again, and Iraki blocked almost mechanically, concentrating more on coming up with a way to draw Aros's attention away from her than on the blocking that was suddenly second nature. The Keyblades rebounded, and both fighters held on tightly to their weapons.

_Last time casting Stop gave me the opportunity to get away, but using that attack of Sora's has left me completely drained. I know I won't be able to use any magic, and, if I try to run without any sort of head start, I'm sure Aros will just use spells to slow me down enough for him to catch up. Actually, even if I do distract him, he might still be able to do that. Oh, I wish I had some magic!_

While Iraki's mind raced, Aros took a step back and came in with a hard blow, hoping that the rebound would force the Keyblade from Iraki's hand.

Iraki jumped back as she blocked, hoping her own momentum would lessen the force of the rebound. The Silver Keyblade almost slipped from her grasp, but she held tight, swiftly readjusting her grip when the shaking slowed.

But then the worst possible thing happened. The Silver Keyblade that had been warm with power suddenly grew cool in Iraki's hand. _What!?_

Aros, unaware of this sudden change in the situation, struck even harder at Iraki, aiming the full force of his blow at the Silver Keyblade itself, held defensively in front of Iraki's chest. Iraki held the Keyblade steady to protect herself, jumping backwards and preparing her grip for the rebound.

But the rebound never came. Aros's blow against the Keyblade was solid, and, since Iraki was gripping the Silver Keyblade tightly, holding it situated over her chest, the blow literally forced the tip of the Silver Keyblade into Iraki's own left shoulder. Aros, stunned at the lack of a rebound, stopped his follow-through, but he quickly realized what was happening and began pushing the Black Keyblade against the Silver, using brute strength to force the Silver Keyblade deeper into Iraki's shoulder.

Iraki cried out in pain as blood began to flow from the wound. She was pressing against the Black Keyblade so hard that she thought she might break her wrist, but Aros was too strong, and, little by little, the Silver Keyblade was sinking deeper into her flesh.

And Aros began to laugh. "It seems Sora's heart IS dying after all. Either that or he has just chosen to desert you, but I suppose that's unlikely. Now that our Keyblades are not being used against their other masters, we can fight as we please. And that means...you lose."

Aros suddenly jerked the Black Keyblade back and, before Iraki had a chance to pull the Silver Keyblade from her shoulder, struck again. Iraki had nothing to block with and no time to dodge. She turned her face away, cringing in anticipation of the blow.

The Black Keyblade connected solidly with her temple. Iraki flew back into the pavement. Her hand slipped away from the hilt of the Silver Keyblade, but it remained embedded in her shoulder. Iraki could feel Aros slowly pulling it free, laughing all the while, as she slipped into unconsciousness. Now he held two Keyblades over her defenseless body.


	20. Running Out of Time

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 20: Running out of Time  
**

Kairi awoke early the next morning to find that she had been crying in her sleep. She had all but smothered herself in Sora's pillow, and the sheets were completely tangled around her body. She thrashed about, working herself free from the web of linen, and stood, immediately beginning to make the bed before she wound up with another morning visitor. The last thing she wanted was for the queen to see how completely restless her night had been.

Numbly Kairi pulled on the clothing that one of the castle's maids was loaning her. The young woman was smaller than Kairi, but the difference was so slight that Kairi had hardly even noticed any extra tightness when she had tried the garments on the day before. Now she noticed nothing, her mind simultaneously blank and racing as it struggled uselessly to comprehend her dream while at the same time attempting to forget it. _I have to...talk to Ansem._

Kairi's mind reeled at the thought, ready to immediately reject it, but she refused to do so. Ansem obviously knew more about Kiru and his dreams than anyone else, and that meant he also knew more about Kairi's own power or at least understood it better. If anyone could give her any answers, if anyone could tell her that her dream wouldn't come true, it would be him.

She left her room, trying to keep her mind numb. The emptiness in her chest hurt as much as ever, and she could not even bear to think about her dream. She had a purpose now, to find Ansem, and she would focus on that and only that until she had done it. Only then would she think about the painful things. Then she would have to.

Kairi had no idea where Ansem's room was, but she was willing to bet that he probably wasn't there anyway. Unless meetings had already started, which was doubtful since no one had bothered to wake her, there was only one place where Ansem would be--the library. The only problem left was finding that.

Kairi wandered the labyrinth of halls for a while until she ran into a random servant and asked directions. The servant was happy to help, although Kairi could see worry in his eyes. She wondered what she looked like, eyes probably still red from her tears, hair unbrushed, clothing carelessly pulled on. She quickly followed the directions, hoping that she wouldn't run into anyone important and preferably no one else at all. She wanted as few people as possible to see such blatant evidence of her crumbling mental state.

Kairi finally arrived at the library, pulling open one of the heavy oaken doors and peering a bit nervously inside.

Ansem sat at a table not far from the entrance, books piled on both sides of him. He looked up in surprise from the book that he had been pouring over, then broke into a smile. "Good morning, Kairi."

Kairi stepped a bit farther into the room, out of the darkness of the hallway and into the light of the library. Ansem's smile turned to a frown as he saw her face. "Has something happened?"

"I had a dream." Kairi stood next to the table now, her arms wrapped around herself as if she were cold.

For an instant Ansem's eyes seemed to light up in excitement, but his expression quickly turned to worry. "What did you see?"

Kairi described to him, in detail, the events of her dream. She simply talked, trying not to think about what her words were saying, hugging herself more tightly with each passing moment. She had already been suffering inside, and now this dream...

Ansem's own features turned slowly from worry to horror to sadness.

"But why?" Kairi burst out. "What happened? Why did it do that to him?"

And, to Kairi's horror, Ansem explained what had happened. It all made perfect sense, but only to someone who knew something about Kiru that Kairi hadn't known.

"But how could that be a part of my dream?" Kairi cried, "I didn't even know about it!"

"Because your dream was not a dream. It was the future."

Kairi bit her lip, looking down at the floor. She couldn't deny it. It was the only explanation that made sense.

"Did Kiru survive?" Ansem asked quietly.

"I don't know." Then, more truthfully, Kairi added, "I don't think so."

Ansem sighed. "So that's how his part in this will end, then. He'll be saving someone. It's just the sort of fate he would want."

Kairi's eyes widened. "How can you be so nonchalant about this!?" she burst out. All the numbness in her mind had disappeared at that statement from Ansem. She had watched Kiru die! How could he act like it was nothing?

"I'm not nonchalant!" Ansem retorted in a harsh tone of voice she hadn't heard from him before. Kairi was shocked to see tears welling up in his eyes. "This is worse news...worse news even than the temporary loss of Sora. At least with him we have hope of his return, but this... Kiru's been like a son to me. I don't want to lose him. But you've just told me that it's inevitable, so I have to try to accept it."

Kairi shook her head furiously. "No..." She could hardly comprehend what Ansem was saying. "No!" She wouldn't believe his words. "NO! It's not inevitable! There has to be something that we can do! Some way to save him!"

Ansem shook his head sadly. "Your dreams are the future, Kairi. No matter what anyone tries to do, it will not change a thing."

"How is that an excuse for not even trying!?"

"If you need to, Kairi, then try to stop it. Do whatever you'd like. But please, don't let it crush you when the dream does come true. We need you to open the door to the light. I can't afford to lose you to your emotions."

"You can't afford to lose me!?" Kairi was burning with anger now. Fresh tears began to run down her cheeks, but she ignored them. "How can your mission possibly be more important than Kiru's life? You said he's like a son to you. How can you just stand by and let him die!?"

Ansem shook his head. "There is nothing I can say to you now that will help. I _can't_ believe that the dream won't come true. I have to be expecting it to, or I don't know how I will react when it does. And there is one hope left. The hope that he does survive somehow, despite...despite what you have told me."

"That's it then? That's all you're going to do?"

"It's all I can do."

"I hate you!" Kairi spat and stormed out of the room.

* * *

Iraki awoke to find herself lying on her back on the street in Crossroads City, exactly where she had passed out. Her head and shoulder were both pounding in pain. She put her right hand to her head, wincing as pain shot through the welt at her touch, and slowly attempted to sit up, thankfully succeeding. "Aros...didn't steal my heart?" Iraki put her right hand to the ground, using it to help her stand. She only swayed slightly when she first got to her feet, immediately regaining her balance. Her head hurt, but it didn't seem to be inhibiting her in any other way. She was tired, but she knew her head wasn't the source of that problem. Her shoulder wasn't bleeding now, but from her soaked clothing she could tell that it had been bleeding, either very hard or for a very long time. She tried to move it, crying out as pain lanced through it. She flexed her arm and her fingers, wincing as her shoulder protested even from being moved slightly when she moved her arm, but her arm and fingers themselves seemed to be working just fine. Hopefully this meant that nothing was dislocated or broken.

"Now what?" Iraki looked around her, but, of course, neither Aros nor the Heartless that was Sora was anywhere in sight. She tried to get her thoughts straight, to remember what had happened. _Aros has the Silver Keyblade! But that means...I failed Sora..._ Tears welled up in Iraki's eyes at the realization, and she put a hand to her heart, feeling Sora's charm still tucked safely under her shirt. _Sora...I'm sorry. Sora...but what happened to him? He was with me, and in the middle of the fight he suddenly wasn't anymore. What happened to his heart?_

Iraki had no answer for this question, however. She grabbed the charm under her shirt and squeezed it as if it could give her some comfort. She was a complete failure. Sora had disappeared again; Aros had the Silver Keyblade. _I have to stop him! But how can I find him?_

Although a more appropriate question probably would have been how Iraki could stop him, that thought didn't even cross her mind. Her rationality had gone out the window the moment her failure had given despair control of her actions. So she concentrated on figuring out where Aros was, not even giving a thought to her complete lack of a weapon of any sort besides the low-level magic that she didn't even have the energy to use.

_The mirror!_ Iraki realized, _He wanted to use the Silver Keyblade to unseal Crossroads City, and he said the Keyblade could manipulate the mirror. The mirror must be able to unseal the worlds, somehow. I just have to get there before any damage is done!_

The more important question still escaping Iraki's notice, she thought of a different detail that she had overlooked. _I don't know where the mirror is on this world._

And then another thought occurred to her--a memory of a man who seemed to know more than he should, who seemed to know Ansem, who had somehow managed to spot her despite her invisibility spell, who had helped her and not revealed her presence to the others in the room. _If anyone knows where the mirror is, then Auron does. I'll have to go to him first._

So, purpose restored, Iraki started off in the direction of the Second District, wiping the tears from her cheeks. _I will get that Keyblade back for you, Sora. I promise!_

* * *

Riku tore across the hills and toward the castle in the distance. In no time his legs were burning, his arms heavy, and his breath coming out in little gasps, but Riku didn't stop or even slow. He couldn't. He had no idea who was at that castle or what could possibly help Kiru in his current condition, but somehow he had gotten it set in his mind that, if he could only get Kiru there, Kiru would be okay.

It seemed like an eternity before Riku was finally running up to the front gates of the castle. He had stumbled a couple times along the way, mostly because he kept looking down at Kiru's blank eyes for some sign of life, but he had never fallen, and his grip on Kiru had never slipped. Now he almost fell as two guards he hadn't even noticed stuck their spears in front of him to bar his path. He barely managed to ground to a stop and glared impatiently at the guard on his right. "Let me in! Can't you see he needs help NOW!?"

"Is he...losing his heart?" the guard on the left choked out.

The guard on the right focused his attention on Riku. He narrowed his eyes, then looked down at Kiru. "We're to let in a tall, silver-haired young man with blue eyes immediately, but anyone else-"

"That's him!" Riku tilted his head to motion down at Kiru and his blank blue eyes. "Let us in!" He had no idea why the people at this castle would be expecting Kiru, but he didn't waste time thinking about it. The guard on the left lowered his spear, but the one on the right still hesitated. Exasperated, Riku stepped forward, ready to push right past that spear if necessary.

The guard retracted it just before Riku walked headlong into it. "We'll escort you to the meeting room," he stated gruffly, obviously a bit dubious about allowing Riku to enter.

"Fine, but hurry! We don't have much time." Riku looked down at Kiru again. His eyes were still blank, but his heart seemed to be staying in place. However, "in place" meant half-way out of his chest.

"I can escort him myself," the guard on the left broke in, "Come on." He hurried up to the gates, yanked one open, and practically dashed inside. Riku rushed after him, not even bothering to look back to see the other guard's reaction.

The guard led Riku through the halls at a pace just short of a run. In no time they stood outside the large double doors of what had to be the aforementioned meeting room. The guard knocked sharply. "The young man you were waiting for is here."

"Send him in!" declared a voice from inside. Riku's heart almost stopped. _Ansem... No, that can't be._

The guard pulled open one of the double doors, motioning Riku inside. Riku stepped in briskly, trying to keep his nervousness from his face. These people had to be friends of Kiru if they were expecting him, and that voice... Riku's mind had to be playing tricks on him. It had to be someone else.

But in the room Riku found an assortment of people shocking enough that he almost didn't believe his eyes. Donald, Goofy, Daisy, and the queen were all there, but that wasn't particularly surprising in itself--it simply meant that this world was the King's Castle. However, the others in the room...

_Kairi? King Mickey? And...Ansem?_

Riku didn't have time to contemplate the man with golden hair and silver eyes. Riku's entrance had prompted a gasp, and everyone in the room had stood and was now running toward him, crowding around.

"What can we do for him?" Riku asked the group in general, an almost desperate quality in his voice, looking down at the limp form in his arms.

"Where is the White Keyblade?" the strange man--Ansem--demanded.

"What does that matter now?" Kairi cried, "We have to help him!"

"The White Keyblade restores hearts! That is how we will help him!"

Riku blinked, remembering his own experience being stabbed by that Keyblade. _Of course! Why didn't I realize it before? And Kairi must be...Kairi must be its master!_

"But why..." Ansem continued, "is his heart flickering? What happened to it? The Heartless wouldn't injure a heart they were trying to consume..."

"I don't know exactly," Riku answered truthfully. His thoughts were so concentrated on saving Kiru that he hardly even noticed who he was speaking to or the fact that this man's apparent knowledge of the Keyblades should have been bothering him. "But Kiru used the White Keyblade to...to restore my heart"--Riku turned his eyes down to Kiru in shame--"and ever since he's been tired and weak."

"The White Keyblade did this!?" Ansem cried, alarmed, "Damage done by the White Keyblade can ONLY be healed by the White Keyblade. Please, where is it? We are truly running out of time!"

Only then did Riku realize why Kiru, even in his current state, had been so desperate to get that one message to him. Riku's heart sank as he stared down at the limp, blank-eyed figure lying in his arms. "Kiru has it."

Everyone's eyes widened. Riku could almost see the hope draining of out them.

"Set him down," Ansem ordered, "Kairi, come help me. Your voice might get through to him."

Riku did as he was told, trying to keep his mind focused on Kiru instead of on the man that he was, unbelievably, taking orders from. That man couldn't be the real Ansem anyway. If he were the real Ansem, he would be locked away in a dungeon somewhere. The others wouldn't be listening to him.

Ansem, to the obvious surprise of those around him, dropped immediately to his knees beside Kiru. Kairi gawked for a second before following suit.

"Kiru!" Ansem cried, leaning down toward him and almost yelling, "Kiru, it's Ansem. Kiru, I know the darkness is trying to swallow you, but please, you have to give us the White Keyblade. It's the only way to save you! Kairi is right here. You can fulfill your mission if you give it to her, Kiru. You have to!"

Kiru gave no response. Ansem raised his eyes to Kairi, signaling her to try.

"Kiru?" Kairi began nervously, leaning close and speaking loudly as well. "Kiru, it's Kairi. You said you have to give me the White Keyblade, remember? Please, try to give it to me. If I had it, I could save you. I could save Sora! Please, Kiru. Don't give in to the darkness. I need that Keyblade from you!" She grabbed his right hand, squeezing it, her eyes intent on him, praying that her words would get through. "Please..."

Kiru's eyes remained as blank as ever, but there was a small flash of light in his right hand. The White Keyblade materialized, separating Kairi's and Kiru's hands. It slipped immediately from his limp fingers, and she caught it as it dropped onto her palm. His hand fell limply to the floor beside him.

"Thank you," Kairi whispered. But this moment of hope was immediately ruined as Kiru's heart slid free of his body and his form began to fade.


	21. Reaching for the Light

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 21: Reaching for the Light  
**

Iraki knocked nervously on the door to the hotel room, and it was pulled open almost immediately. The young blond man--Tidus--stood in the doorway, Yuna visible standing just behind him.

"I...I would like to talk to Auron," Iraki stammered.

The two hardly seemed to hear her. "What happened!?" Tidus cried, "Are you all right?"

Yuna ran into the room, apparently to get her staff.

"What's wrong?" Rikku cried from somewhere inside, "Who's there?"

If Auron was present, then he said nothing.

"Hey, come in here," Tidus ordered, grabbing Iraki by the right arm and leading her into the room. He gestured to the bed. "Sit down. Catch your breath."

Iraki obeyed. She hadn't realized that her lungs were burning until then. She must have run the whole way. It was really all a blur.

Yuna stood in front of her now, staff in her hands. "You'll be fine in just a minute," she promised, holding the staff before her, "Curaga!"

A cooling sensation seemed to pour through Iraki's body, and the pounding in both her head and her shoulder faded. She turned to her shoulder in surprise and found only a jagged scar running along otherwise unblemished skin. She might have thought that the whole thing had been a hallucination, but her torn and deeply blood-stained clothing easily convinced her otherwise.

"How do you feel?" Yuna asked, running a hand over the place on Iraki's head where Aros had hit her. Surprisingly, her touch didn't hurt. Iraki brought her own hand up to the wound wonderingly. The welt was completely gone.

"I'm fine," Iraki stated, "Thank you."

"There's no need for thanks," Yuna replied, smiling for an instant but immediately growing serious, "What happened to you? It wasn't the Heartless, was it?"

"No, it..." Iraki looked down, unsure what to say.

"Did you lose them?"

The voice brought Iraki's head jerking back up. "Auron!" she declared as the trenchcoated figure crossed the room to stand before her.

"Do you know this girl?" Tidus asked in surprise as he and Rikku also came up to the bed.

"Know her? No. But she was here with Sora and Aros."

"What!?"

"She used a low-level invisibility spell to conceal her presence, but it was really quite easy to see through."

Iraki looked down, wondering how the others would react to this news. They had been nice to her so far, but they obviously hadn't known that she had deceived them.

"Why didn't you say anything about this before?" Tidus demanded of Auron.

"You hid from us?" Rikku questioned Iraki.

"No, not from you! I was hiding from Sora and Aros."

"Did Ansem send you?" Auron asked, completely disregarding Tidus's question.

"Yes."

Auron nodded. "I expected as much. Your name?"

"Iraki."

"What were you trying to accomplish?"

Iraki hesitated before answering but realized that, if she was going to get Auron's help, she would have to tell him everything. And he did seem to know Ansem, so she reasoned that he probably was trustworthy. "I was supposed to follow Sora and keep following him, no matter what happened."

"No matter what happened?" Auron's eyes narrowed.

_Does he know what happened to Sora?_ Suddenly Iraki reconsidered her decision to tell Auron _everything_. "Yes. No matter what happened."

"And has Sora...?"

Iraki looked down again. He did know after all. "Yes. Aros stole his heart."

"WHAT!?" Tidus cried. Suddenly his sword was in his hand. "How could he do that? I knew there was something fishy about that guy, but...but..."

Yuna put an arm on Tidus's shoulder. "Tidus, put your sword away."

Tidus obeyed numbly.

"And what is it that brings you here? You've lost them, correct?"

Iraki frowned, ashamed. "I have. Aros and I fought, and...I lost. But I know where he was going. He has the Silver Keyblade now. He's headed to the mirror. Or, at least, he was when he knocked me out. I...I don't know how long ago that was."

"Aros has the Silver Keyblade?" Auron cried. The shock in his normally controlled voice was unsettling.

Iraki swallowed, trying to hold the tears of shame in her eyes. "Yes. He took it from me."

Auron quickly seemed to regain control of his emotions. With his typical gruff voice, he asked, "You don't have a weapon?"

Iraki shook her head.

"Then Tidus and Yuna will escort you to the mirror."

Iraki looked up in surprise. She had simply been hoping to find a location, but this... "You know where the mirror is?"

"It's the mural in the Secret Waterway," Auron replied, looking toward Tidus and Yuna rather than Iraki.

Tidus nodded, drawing his sword again. Yuna clutched her staff tightly.

"Is it far?" Iraki asked, painfully aware of the hungry ache in her stomach. Her mind said that she had just eaten, but her stomach seemed convinced otherwise. _I've passed out twice since then. I really don't know how long it's been since I've eaten. I only hope I don't pass out from exhaustion again, but how could I possibly ask them-_

"It's not far at all," Tidus assured her.

"But do you think we can take the time for a meal first?" Yuna interjected, apparently catching some hint of Iraki's hunger in her face.

Iraki's stomach rumbled quietly in excitement, but she shook her head. She had already failed Sora once. If she didn't get to the mirror immediately, her failure could be final.

"Then I think a backpack full of food is just what you need!" Rikku declared. She bounded immediately to a cupboard, throwing the doors open and pulling out an assortment of packaged, non-perishable food items.

"And I'm sure that I can find you a clean outfit as well," Yuna added.

Iraki was floored. She didn't even know these people. Why were they doing all this for her? Despite her current self-loathing and desperate need for immediate action, Iraki smiled. "Thank you all so much!"

"It's no problem," Rikku called. A sizable pile of food was generating beside her. "We brought tons of stuff with us when we fled the Empty Citadel, and none of it's perishable, so it should be great for you on your journey."

"You'd better give her that backpack before she cleans us out and then realizes it won't all fit in it," Auron stated, still in his usual gruff manner.

Iraki could now sense for sure the kindness below that harsh exterior. She grinned, pulling her backpack from her shoulders and momentarily wondering at the fact that Aros hadn't even bothered to rob her when he had had the chance. _What he should have done is taken my heart, but he didn't. Could it be that somewhere, deep down, the Aros that loves me is still there?_

Iraki had stopped in her tracks with a thoughtful frown on her face. Realizing this and smiling foolishly, thinking of all the times Kiru had gotten lost in thought in front of her and how she had teased him for it, she strode across the room and began putting the food in her backpack.

"I'll pick out some clothes, and you can change when you're finished packing," Yuna called from where she now stood before a tall wardrobe in the corner. "Rikku, you don't mind if I loan her one of your shirts and shorts, do you? I think they'll be the most suitable for her on her journey. None of my clothing is very practical for fighting with a weapon. And you do use a Keyblade, don't you, Iraki?"

Iraki froze and looked up at Yuna curiously. She had been under the impression that Auron hadn't even mentioned her to them, and even Auron shouldn't know about her White Keyblade. "I...can use a Keyblade. If I had it."

Yuna turned from the wardrobe, clothing in her hands, and smiled at Iraki. "I knew you had to be one of the Keyblade Masters."

"I don't mind. She can have whatever," Rikku broke in. She was grinning at Iraki, her face seeming to imply that she, too, had known that Iraki was a Keyblade Master.

_They shouldn't be able to tell from looking at me! Maybe it's because I mentioned that Aros stole the Silver Keyblade from me?_

Looking down at the backpack and noticing that it was stuffed full, Yuna stepped up to Iraki, holding the clothing she had taken from the wardrobe out to her. Iraki took the garments and, at a gesture from Yuna, stepped through the door into an adjoining hotel room to change from her bloodstained clothing into Rikku's things.

She emerged a moment later, bloodstained garments in her hands. She now wore a sleeveless lavender shirt of material similar to that which Rikku was wearing, but softer and styled a bit differently, with a lower neck and buckles up the back instead of the side, meant to be tight but slightly loose on her. Her shorts were blue and slightly longer than Rikku's with no fringe, a line of silver beads going up each side. They too were a bit loose, but the size difference wasn't appreciable, especially since Rikku tended to wear her clothing tight.

"You look great!" Rikku grinned brightly. "Don't worry about returning the outfit. And go ahead and set those on the floor." She gestured to the clothing Iraki held in her hands. "We'll take care of them."

Iraki nodded and placed the bloodstained garments in the corner nearest her. She grabbed the chain of Sora's pendant, making sure it was safely around her neck, and straightened, turning to Tidus and Yuna in anticipation of their flight.

"Whenever you're ready," Tidus offered, "It's just off the back balcony. We'll be there in no time."

_Good. Because I might just be out of time already. But I still have to try._ "Let's go."

* * *

"Stab the Keyblade through his heart and through him. Connect the two. Hurry!"

Kairi could only stare for a second at the Keyblade in her hand. Then reality came rushing back to her, and she jumped to her feet, driving the White Keyblade through both Kiru's escaping heart and his fading body.

The White Keyblade grew warm in her hand. Kairi could feel it pulsing weakly, in time with the flickering of Kiru's heart. His body stopped fading but remained as an ethereal form on the ground, not regaining even a bit of substance. A few golden sparkles floated from him to the ceiling.

And then the pale, flickering heart disappeared.

"It's in the Keyblade!" Ansem cried over the gasps of the others, "Kairi, you have to heal the heart first and then send it back into his body."

Kairi stood staring at the scene before her. The White Keyblade continued pulsing weakly, and Kiru's ghostly form lay still. "But...how?" she choked out, her mind numb with shock and confusion.

"You are the White Keyblade Master. You _know_ how!"

Kairi just stood there, trying to think. She looked down at the Keyblade in her hand, concentrating on it. _I can still feel the Keyblade pulsing. It's Kiru's heartbeat, but...it's so weak. The Keyblade is warm, like it's full of energy. If I could put some of the energy from the Keyblade into Kiru's heart, then..._

Everyone watched in awe as the Keyblade began to shine with white energy, but only Kairi could feel the pulsing of Kiru's heart slowly growing stronger and a weakness growing within her as her own energy drained into the Keyblade. Somewhat out of breath, she still couldn't resist smiling slightly at the strong pulse she could now feel in the Keyblade. _All I have to do now is send his heart down the Keyblade and into him._

Kairi could feel the heart sliding down the blade as she willed it to, finally coming off the tip and reentering the place where it belonged. Kairi pulled the Keyblade back out of Kiru's body, slumping to her knees in exhaustion but smiling her brightest smile in days.

Kiru's blank blue eyes suddenly came back to life. Limp limbs began to twitch as Kiru shifted, returning to reality. He turned his head, slowly looking one by one at all those gathered around him. His gaze focused on Riku, and he smiled in appreciation. He smiled at Ansem as well.

The last person his gaze fixed on was Kairi. His warm smile made her smile even more widely. "Thank you," Kiru whispered, "The pain...is finally gone." Then he sank back to the ground, his eyes closing as he, at last, slid into a peaceful, natural sleep.

* * *

"IRAKI!"

Kiru was engulfed by a wave of darkness. It washed over him, spread through his limbs. Everything was numb. A light shined far above, just out of reach and slowly growing farther away.

Kiru fought to move his limbs, to swim his way back to the light. He couldn't feel or hear anything of the real world anymore, and the darkness pressed against him painfully. He could feel it, both as a physical pain and as a mental force, inhibiting him in every way possible. Thinking hurt. Feeling hurt. Fighting hurt most of all.

_"Kiru, hold on!"_

The voice was distant; it came from the light. Kiru struggled harder. His mind was growing numb, the darkness pressing so hard against it as to completely keep him from thinking, but he fixed a singular purpose in his mind: _I have to get to the light!_

Suddenly the light seemed to grow closer to him, although he couldn't tell whether he had moved toward it or it had moved toward him. One instant it was completely out of reach and the next it was at his fingertips. He brushed against it, and suddenly he could see.

_Riku's face was floating above him. He could feel Riku's arms holding him. Riku was trying to save him. As Kiru's initial surprise passed, he managed to smile weakly._

_Riku smiled back, trying to look confident. "Just hold on. I'm going to get help."_

_Kiru nodded slightly, wanting to show Riku that he believed in him, but suddenly..._

The darkness washed over Kiru again, forcing him away from the light. His vision faded back to black, and he could feel the numbness returning to his limbs. _No...I have to...keep fighting...Riku will...help me..._

Kiru swam desperately against the sea of black, watching in despair as the light remained out of reach. That he might somehow be able to continue fighting, somehow reach some sort of salvation, began to be a very dim possibility. But even through the darkness that kept his thoughts brief, Kiru still kept one thing fixed in his mind: _I have to get to the light!_

_"Kiru, think of Kairi."_

The voice was farther away than it had been before, just as the light was growing steadily farther away. What did the words mean? It was so hard to think. _It's Riku. But...Kairi...what...?_

_"Kiru! Kiru, we're going through the mirror. Please, just for a minute, think of Kairi. You can. You have to!"_

_Kairi...the mirror...of course!_

The light was suddenly just above him again, and Kiru brushed his fingertips against it.

_Riku's face still floated above him, and Heartless seemed to be all around them. Kiru had the sensation that they were moving, but not in the sense of walking or running. Had Riku jumped? It wasn't important now. He had to think of Kairi._

_Kiru could see her in his mind's eye, identical to Iraki in all aspects but her blue eyes. _"I'm so glad you're okay, Riku."_ Yes...she had said that to him, thinking him to be someone he wasn't. She had tried to hug him, even. **Kairi...I have to find you! I can't lose now!**_

The darkness washed over Kiru again. His limbs were numb. What had he been thinking? Something about the light? It was very far away. Hadn't it been closer just an instant before? He fought to get to the light but wondered if it was really worth it. There was a reason. There was something that made him strive for it, even if his mind could only vaguely think of what.

_"Kiru, we're through the mirror. I'm going to find help. Don't give up!"_

_Don't give up. Of course, I can't!_

The light was at his fingertips. Memory flooded back into Kiru as he brushed his fingers against it. He was losing his heart, but obviously Riku had prevented the Heartless from taking it completely. His body was unable to restore itself. _The White Keyblade. It could save me! But..._

_The world came into view about him. He opened his mouth and coughed, surprisingly finding his throat full of water that he didn't even know he'd been in. But he couldn't waste time wondering about it. Riku needed to know about the White Keyblade._

_"Riku..." he choked out. His voice was thin and weak, barely a whisper, but he forced the words from his tight throat. Riku was leaning toward him, straining to hear. "I have...I have the White Keyblade."_

_"Okay."_

Kiru tried to smile, glad to have gotten his message out, but a new wave of darkness washed over him, pulling him away from the light and abruptly numbing him.

_"Kiru, stay with me."_

The voice was far, far away. Hadn't it been closer before?

_"Kiru? Kiru, don't give up now!"_

Give up? Give up what? There was a light. Something about the light was important.

_"Kiru, just hold on! Please!"_

Kiru was trying to. He didn't know why, but he knew there was a reason, even if he couldn't quite grasp it.

And for an eternity he fought, hearing far in the distance snippets of voices, some that seemed to hold some meaning to him._ "Need help NOW...losing his heart...silver-haired...let us in...escort...hurry...myself...send him in...what can we do...White Keyblade...heart flickering...White Keyblade...Kiru...Kairi..."_

The light was as distant as ever. Kiru fought as hard as he could. What were these voices? It was his name...and the Keyblade was important...and the name Kairi. There was something...

_"Kiru! Kiru, it's Ansem. Kiru, I know the darkness is trying to swallow you, but please, you have to give us the White Keyblade. It's the only way to save you! Kairi is right here. You can fulfill your mission if you give it to her, Kiru. You have to!"_

The White Keyblade. He remembered it now. It was in his possession. But how could he give it to them? He couldn't reach them. He couldn't reach it. Where was it? Was it, too, in the far-too-distant light?

_"Kiru? Kiru, it's Kairi. You said you have to give me the White Keyblade, remember? Please, try to give it to me. If I had it, I could save you. I could save Sora! Please, Kiru. Don't give in to the darkness. I need that Keyblade from you!"_

_Kairi? Sora? The White Keyblade is important. I'm supposed to...I'm supposed to give it to Kairi. I have to give it to Kairi. It's the only way to save Sora!_

A drop of light fell from the pool above Kiru. It floated just above his fingertips. Even though it didn't take on a form, he knew exactly what it was. _The White Keyblade. But Kairi...how can I reach Kairi?_

_There was a pressure on his right hand. Kairi...she was holding his hand. He couldn't see it, but somehow he felt it. "Please..." came Kairi's distant plea._

The light itself was still far away, but Kiru could _feel_ Kairi. Even though he couldn't see the connection, he could sense it. It would be enough. If he put all his strength into it, if he grabbed the White Keyblade and held onto the connection, then maybe...

He touched the drop of light above him, concentrating on the sensation that was Kairi's hand holding his. There was a bright flash of white light. The drop of light disappeared, and the connection with Kairi was abruptly gone as well. The darkness washed over him again, pushing the distant light even farther away.

_Faintly, from a place infinitely distant from the darkness where he was trapped, a voice whispered, "Thank you."_

It faded into the distance. The light itself was fading. Kiru was sinking deeper into the darkness. It was too late. The light...was gone.

And for a time that seemed to last an eternity all Kiru knew was darkness. There were no more thoughts, no more feelings, no more struggles. He was lost.

But suddenly a sensation of light burst within Kiru, filling him completely. In an instant, the darkness was gone. The numbness was gone. Reality...returned.

Kiru shifted, moving his limbs slightly and marveling at the ease of it. He turned his head, looking slowly from one face to the other of those above him. Some faces he did not recognize, but as his gaze focused on Riku, he smiled his appreciation. The unexpected sight of Ansem, intense relief in his silver eyes, brought a smile to Kiru's lips as well.

The last person his gaze fixed on was Kairi. She was smiling brightly, and he smiled warmly back, knowing that she couldn't possibly comprehend what she had just done for him. He tried to put it into words, knowing that he couldn't but unwilling to not at least attempt it. "Thank you," he whispered, "The pain...is finally gone."

Energy spent, Kiru sank back to the ground and allowed his eyes to close as he fell gratefully asleep. His trial was over. He was safe in the light.


	22. On the Verge of War

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 22: On the Verge of War  
**

Riku stood, a hint of a smile touching the corner of his lips. "We made it."

Kairi nodded, still grinning, and got back to her feet as well. "Yes, we did." She felt completely exhausted. Using that Keyblade had taken a lot out of her, but she tried to ignore the feeling. No one else had to know that she felt ready to collapse. Looking down at the White Keyblade, she wondered how she could make it disappear when she didn't need it.

"Just will it to disappear," Riku stated.

Kairi turned to him in surprise. He had apparently been watching her.

"Just think that you don't need it right now, and it will disappear inside you."

"Oh...thanks." Kairi looked down at the White Keyblade again and did as Riku had instructed. Suddenly it was no longer in her hand. She gasped slightly in surprise but then smiled. It had worked.

Ansem scooped Kiru up in his arms carefully. "I'll take him to his room," he stated, already turning to leave.

"But you don't know-" Goofy began.

"The room across from mine is empty, isn't it?" Kairi broke in.

Ansem stopped and turned, watching her, curiosity in his silver eyes.

"Yep," Goofy replied, not seeming to realize what Kairi was asking.

"Can he stay there?" Kairi addressed the queen, her voice unintentionally hopeful.

Minnie smiled. "That's just the room I had in mind for him. But would you mind directing King Ansem there?"

Kairi grinned slightly. Minnie's uncanny understanding of her feelings probably should have been unnerving, but the queen was just so genuinely _nice_. It almost eased the loneliness--just a tiny bit--to know that she had such a friend. "I would be happy to." Kairi turned to Ansem, trying not to cringe at the sight of Kiru in such a vulnerable state being held in _his_ arms. "Please follow me," she instructed, keeping her voice as neutral as she could. Without waiting for a reply, she turned and left the room. She heard two sets of footsteps following her. Turning, Kairi found both Ansem and Riku behind her. _No. I can't be with Ansem and Riku together. I don't want Riku to see me act that way. Not after...everything that has happened._ "Riku, we'll come back here in just a minute," she whispered, not wanting to wake Kiru, "I'm sure the queen can fill you in on some of what's been going on while you wait."

Riku frowned, seemingly unsure of how to take Kairi's words. Realizing that he was going to think she didn't want to see him, Kairi ran up to him and hugged him.

Riku tensed, obviously not expecting anything of the sort. Then he relaxed, putting his arms around her and returning the hug. They stayed that way for a moment before Kairi pulled away. "I'm really glad to see you again," she stated, "I'll come back in just a minute, and then we can talk all day. About everything. But I don't want to wake Kiru." Kairi cringed inwardly. That really wasn't the reason that she was trying to keep him from following, but it was true that she didn't want to wake Kiru, so at least she wasn't lying to Riku.

Riku nodded, although his face said that he still didn't quite understand. "I'll see you in a minute then."

Kairi smiled gratefully, and Riku turned and reentered the meeting room. Kairi started back down the hallway, Ansem following.

As they headed down the hallway, Kairi stole glances back at Ansem and Kiru as often as she possibly could. She still wasn't very familiar with the castle, however, so she mostly had to keep her attention focused forward so as not to make a wrong turn.

Kairi heard a slight whimper from behind her. She stopped in her tracks, whirling around, eyes glinting in anger.

Ansem's attention was so focused on Kiru that he practically crashed into Kairi before he realized that she had stopped. Kiru was still held in his arms just as before, but he was squirming now, whimpering slightly in his sleep.

Finally noticing Kairi's angry gaze, Ansem took a nervous step back. "He's dreaming," he explained.

Kairi's face immediately softened. Any mention of dreams seemed to have an odd effect on her of late. "Dreaming?" she whispered. Kiru looked so distraught. Considering her recent dream and his own dreaming ability, could it be that he was seeing what she had seen? Kairi shuddered at the thought, shaking her head unconsciously as she tried to block out the memories. He least of all should have to watch such a thing...

"Kiru probably knows better than we do what's going to happen to him." Ansem sighed. "And, knowing him, he's probably coming to terms with it better than we are."

Kairi wanted to make some sort of snide reply to that comment, but she knew that renewing their previous argument now was probably not the best idea. After all, she didn't want to wake Kiru when he was so obviously, and understandably, exhausted after his experience. Although, if he really was seeing what they suspected he was, maybe waking up would be a relief, exhausted or not.

Looking forward, Kairi realized that they were just about to pass the room. She stopped and walked over to the door, finding it slightly ajar. A bit nervously, she pushed it the rest of way open.

A maid was inside the room, apparently just finishing preparing it for Kiru. She smoothed the sheets of the freshly made bed with her hand and turned, smiling at Kairi. "It's all ready for him," she whispered and quickly strode out of the room without another word.

"Thank you!" Kairi called softly after her. She stepped into the room and immediately pulled back the sheets that the servant had just been adjusting.

Ansem stepped up next to her, very carefully laying Kiru down. He pulled the sheets up to Kiru's neck, tucking him in just as a father would his son.

Watching Ansem do this, gazing down at Kiru with a very fatherly expression on his face, Kairi wondered if maybe she really could be wrong about Ansem. But her heart was still plagued by painful emptiness, and her mind still insisted that it was somehow Ansem's fault.

Kiru continued moaning slightly in his sleep, already tossing and turning in his bed. Ansem simply watched him for a moment, an unmistakable sadness in his eyes.

_He really does care about him, doesn't he?_ Kairi surprised herself with the thought, but with the evidence she was seeing, how could she possibly deny that Kiru was important to Ansem?

"We've done all we can for now," Ansem whispered, "I suppose we should be go back and explain things to Riku. Then...someone can come stay with him."

Kairi was surprised that both she and Ansem seemed to be having the same thought. But maybe it wasn't so surprising after all--if Ansem really did care about Kiru. Neither wanted Kiru to be left alone. He seemed to be fine now, but only moments before he had _lost his heart_, and, knowing what they both knew, Kiru wasn't going to stay safe for long. It wouldn't be right for him to wake up and find himself alone--especially not if he was dreaming what they thought he was.

Kairi nodded, and she led the way out of the room. Ansem gently closed the door behind them, pausing when it was open a crack and gazing in at Kiru one more time before pulling it all the way shut.

They headed back down the hallway together, Ansem matching his pace to Kairi's and staying beside her. She made a point of not looking at him.

"It's good to have him back," Ansem suddenly commented, breaking the silence.

Kairi looked up at him, considering, but said nothing.

"The last time I saw him was the day before this all started. Without his dreams to help inform me, I really haven't been able to follow recent events at all. I know my own part in this is small compared to the parts that the Keyblade Masters are playing, but that doesn't keep me from wanting to _know_. I worry...if darkness were to consume one of your hearts, how would it change things? Sora can be saved, and Riku has been saved. Ah, Riku. Yes, I'm quite glad I get the opportunity meet him now. But yes, Riku has been saved. And Aros has made himself into the enemy. But if events were to push any of you beyond the limit...what if one of you gave up on the light?" Ansem shuddered at the impossible thought of someone choosing to live in darkness. "If you did it voluntarily, like Aros, and not behind Kingdom Hearts, like Riku, and couldn't be saved...what would happen then? You are all so linked to each other. I fear that the loss of even one could prevent you from ever reaching the door to the light and opening it."

_Is he afraid...could he mean that he thinks I'm sinking into darkness?_ Kairi involuntarily put a hand to her chest, clutching her shirt over the empty place in her heart. _Light does seem very far away right now. It's hard to think of bright things when my own heart is so shadowed._

Ansem said nothing more, and, before Kairi could carry her thoughts further, the two arrived at the meeting room. The doors had been left open for them, and they entered to find everyone sitting at the long table in the same seats as the previous day. Kairi's seat next to Minnie was left open with Riku sitting to the left of it. A conversation had obviously been going on, but it halted abruptly with their entrance.

"Kiru's in his room sleeping," Kairi replied to the questioning gazes. She had wanted to say, "sleeping peacefully," but she hadn't been able to bring herself to speak the lie. She and Ansem both walked over to the table and sat down in their respective seats.

"I think we've filled Riku in on just about everything," Goofy stated.

Ansem nodded. "Good. Now we just need to determine our next course of action."

"We find and save Sora," Riku stated firmly.

Kairi smiled. It was good to have Riku back again.

But this assertion had put the rest of the room into an immediate uproar.

"How do we find him?" Donald asked, "He could be anywhere!"

"Remember when I told you that Kairi will see her parallel Iraki when she crosses the mirror?" Ansem questioned, "Iraki has been following Sora so that we can find him."

"But how will they get to the right world, Ansem? With the mirror, they can't control their destination!" Mickey pointed out.

"Yes you can."

The uproar died back down in an instant. Everyone turned to Riku in surprise.

"What do you mean?" Ansem burst out, his eyes lighting up with curiosity and excitement.

Realizing that all the attention was on him, Riku made a slightly sour face and kept his eyes trained on Ansem, answering him directly as if the others weren't present. "If, when you're crossing the mirror, you think about a specific person, then you will go to the world that they are on. That's how Kiru and I were able to find you, Kairi." Riku's gaze turned to Kairi now, warmth visible in his eyes.

"The mirror can analyze the brain wave patterns of those passing through it!?" Ansem looked downright ecstatic at this news. "Could it be? Is the mirror itself made up of Gummi Blocks? Is the whole universe based on Gummi Technology?"

"Let's go now," Kairi interrupted, ignoring Ansem's ramblings completely.

All eyes shifted to Kairi now. She stared down at the table, dreading the reaction that she was about to receive, but knowing that she HAD to say this. "You said there's an army of Heartless coming any time now. Shouldn't we start our journey BEFORE we get attacked?"

"But Kiru needs-" Riku began.

Kairi cut him off, finishing for him. "Kiru needs to rest." Kairi brought her head back up and turned to Ansem, locking her gaze on his. "I think we should leave him here to recover."

"Kairi, what...?" Riku trailed off, completely confused by Kairi's behavior.

"If you did that," Ansem began calmly, "the minute Kiru found out you were gone, he would be on his way to the mirror, without a meal or any supplies, ready to fight his way across--even if an entire army of Heartless was pouring out of the mirror at the time."

Kairi scowled at those piercing silver eyes and shifted her gaze back down to the table. Ansem had a point. So much for her idea.

"So then, all three of you should take this time to rest, eat, and prepare for your journey. There's no way to know how long it will be before you find a similar opportunity." Minnie's words, though not overtly a command, were obviously meant as one. Kairi knew they had no choice but to do as the queen had "suggested."

"And we all continue preparing for the attack, right, Yer Majesty?" Goofy questioned.

"Exactly." Minnie turned to Kairi, her expression all business, but with a certain twinkle in her eyes that spoke volumes of ulterior motives. "Kairi, I'd like to ask another favor of you. I've had the room next to Kiru's prepared for Riku. Would you mind taking him there? I'm sure after his experience that he wouldn't want to waste this chance for sleep."

"I'll be staying with Kiru for now," Riku stated flatly to the queen. Realizing what he had just done, his eyes widened, and he added quietly, "But thank you for your hospitality."

"I'll bring you there," Kairi declared, standing. Riku stood as well. "We'll come back with Kiru after he wakes up," Kairi promised the queen, "Maybe we can still leave before the Heartless attack."

"We all hope so," Mickey commented. No one else said anything.

Kairi nodded slightly, and she and Riku turned and left the room.

* * *

Aros smacked the Heartless that was Sora with the Black Keyblade. The Heartless reeled, whimpering, but then simply continued following him. Aros scowled. He had thought that hurting Sora would do more to relieve his frustration, but it was extremely dissatisfying to wound something that didn't even bother to fight back.

Crossroads City was far too large. He couldn't help but think what a relief it would be to him when this world no longer existed. At the moment, however, he was scouring every inch of it, trying desperately to find the mirror.

Why hadn't he thought to ask Riku where the mirror was on this world? Riku had obviously known.

Aros let out a cry of frustration and kicked Sora in the side. The Heartless stumbled and whimpered, otherwise giving no indication that it had been attacked before it resumed following him. This, if anything, infuriated Aros even more. "You know, I should just kill you and be done with it!"

The Heartless just stared at him with blank yellow eyes and kept walking, apparently not understanding.

"Well, it's not like you've been of any use! You stood there watching Iraki for how long? Not even bothering to attack her or wake me when you had the chance. She could have gotten away, she could have..."

Aros trailed off. Iraki HAD gotten away. He had been the one to allow that. _Why didn't I take her heart? It would have been so easy. She was unconscious, lying right there in front of me, and one little stab would have ended it all._

"She wasn't worth the time!" he burst out, not sure whether he was trying to convince himself or the universe in general, "She's completely worthless to me. I have the Silver Keyblade. Stealing her heart would have been a complete waste of my time and effort. That's the only reason I didn't do it!"

He looked at the Heartless, almost as if for confirmation, but the Heartless just stared back at him blankly and kept walking. He scowled and kicked it again. It caught its balance and continued following him, letting out only a tiny whimper.

"And you're just as worthless as she is!" Aros continued, "To think, I once considered you a threat." He laughed, the sound slightly high-pitched, maniacal. "Just follow me, Sora. That's all you can do anymore. You have to obey MY every command!"

Aros suddenly realized that he hadn't been paying any attention to where he was walking. He looked at the buildings around him. The area was familiar, but he had practically traversed the entirety of Crossroads City. _Everything_ was familiar. "All right, where am I?" he demanded of the world at large.

The world gave no reply. Aros scowled, wondering what the chances were that he had walked right past the mirror while he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. "This is getting me nowhere," he admitted aloud. He wondered how many hours he had just wasted wandering around aimlessly. "Who can I find who would know where the mirror is?"

He looked over at the Heartless, almost as if he were expecting a response, but it just stared at him, and he scowled again. "Who do I know who lives here anyway? When I was traveling with Sora, the only people I met were..." Aros stopped short. The Heartless stopped as well, staring at him expectantly, but at that moment Aros wasn't paying it any mind at all. His thoughts were turned inward as the memory came back to him. "The only people I met were those four. And one of them knew many things about the mirror. He had been in contact with Ansem, of course he would know..." Aros's eyes shown with excitement. "Where were they? They were in that Hotel, in the...the Second District. I just have to find the Second District..."

Aros looked around him again, trying to figure out which district he was in. He scowled. "Whoever built this world was an idiot!" he burst out, "Why is it all so alike!?"

He turned to go back the way he had come--it seemed as good a direction as any--and found himself face-to-face with the Heartless that was Sora. "The Heartless! Of course!"

The Heartless tilted its head up to him, confused, but Aros was lost in his own thoughts. The Heartless wouldn't be able to tell him which district was which, but only the first and second districts had any appreciable number of inhabitants left, and the Heartless could sense inhabitants. In fact, the Heartless could probably find these particular people without too much trouble at all. He had heard from them already that those four had brighter hearts than the other people staying in Crossroads City.

"Call some of your friends," Aros instructed, speaking slowly and distinctly "I need you to find the four people with bright hearts and take me to them."

The Heartless simply stood and considered him for a moment, confused.

"Get some other Heartless and find them!"

The Heartless let out a little wail and took off, going the way Aros had originally been traveling. He scowled and followed, but inside he could feel his excitement growing. He already knew where the Keyhole was, so once this world was unsealed, it would easy for the Heartless to destroy it. Very soon, Crossroads City would cease to exist, and that thought made him very happy indeed.


	23. Race to the Mirror

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 23: Race to the Mirror  
**

Ansem was pacing. He knew that he was pacing, but that knowledge did nothing to keep him from doing it. He had a book open in his hand and was staring down at it as he wandered back and forth across the massive library, but he really wasn't reading it at all. He didn't even know what book it was. He just kept walking, the only sound the thud of his boots as he went back and forth, back and forth.

_Kiru is going to die._

Ansem stopped short. Then resumed pacing.

Thud...thud...thud...thud...thud. Wall. Turn. Thud...thud...thud...thud...

_"NO! It's not inevitable! There has to be something that we can do! Some way to save him!"_

Ansem sighed and kept pacing. Kiru himself had tried to change his dreams before. It had never done anything for him except make the events seem all the worse when they came true anyway. Ansem had been the one who had tried to convince him that it was a gift to know what would happen because then he could prepare for it.

How could anyone prepare for this?

Thud...thud...thud...thud...thud...

_"There is one hope left. The hope that he does survive somehow, despite...despite what you have told me."_

He had offered that hope to calm Kairi down. Was it foolish of him to be wishing, wishing with all his heart, that it was true, that Kiru would survive somehow?

Thud...thud...thud...thud...thud...

_What if I tried to change things?_

Ansem stopped short again. This was an unfamiliar thought. He had never gone down such a path before. Kiru's dreams had always been a fact to him, and facts couldn't be changed just by wanting or even trying to change them.

_I could ask Kiru about exactly what he saw. I could try to change something small, even insignificant. Any change in events should theoretically change the outcome._

_Yes, but, even if it did work, what would it change the outcome to?_

Ansem sighed and resumed pacing. _Thinking about trying to change Kiru's dream...I'm beginning to sound like Kairi. I can't be drawn in by false hope like that. I don't want to make the outcome any worse than...than it's already supposed to be._

Thud...thud...thud...thud...thud...

_Is hoping that he'll survive a false hope as well?_

Ansem stopped, his face stricken at the thought.

_No, it's not. Kairi didn't know for sure that he was dead, so his survival is a viable possibility._

Thud...thud...thud...thud...thud...

_I wonder how likely it is?_

Thud...thud...thud...thud...thud...

_To determine that, I would have to know exactly what's going to happen. Not just the past-based version of events that Kairi saw. I would have to ask Kiru..._

Ansem sighed. He knew he wasn't very good with tact--Mickey always seemed to have a much better idea of what others wanted to hear--but even he knew for sure that asking Kiru to describe his dream of his own death right after he woke up, finally returned to health for the first time since saving Riku, would be wrong if not cruel.

_He might come to me about it. Especially if he, too, believes...that he will die._

Ansem swallowed hard.

Thud...thud...thud...thud...thud...

Ansem needed to see Kiru. He needed to talk to him. He needed to make sure that Kiru was all right now, that he was healthy and coping with what he has seen and, of course, coping with his separation from Iraki.

_Iraki...oh no! No doubt he's more worried about how she will take this event than he is about the event itself. What can I possibly do to make him feel better? And what can I do for her? Depending on when this happens, chances are she'll have no warning, may not even see him again first..._

Abruptly Ansem stopped his pacing and sat down at a table, dropping his book on it and burying his head in his hands. _I never thought that any of them would have to die. I knew about the grave danger that they would all be in, but I always thought that the light in the universe would protect its champions. I knew sacrifices would have to be made, but I never thought that Kiru's very life-_

His thoughts were abruptly cut off by a voice from right next to him. "Did something happen?"

Ansem jerked his head up to find Mickey standing beside the table, peering down at Ansem with a worried frown. "Kairi had a dream," Ansem replied tersely. That was a mistake. Ansem was never terse.

"It was that bad?"

"Kiru..." He trailed off, almost unable to bring himself to say the words. "Kiru was badly wounded. Kairi was quite sure that he...that he didn't make it."

Mickey's eyes widened, then softened. "I'm sorry."

Ansem didn't reply. He turned back to the table, fiddling with the book in his hands.

"Is there anything we can do?" Mickey asked gently.

Ansem let go of the book, leaving it to lie open before him. _Anything? But what would it accomplish if we tried to change the outcome? Would it be worse? Would we even be able to change it?_ Ansem swallowed hard before replying. "The events of Kiru's and Kairi's dreams are...not something we should try to change."

There was a tense moment of silence. Mickey finally piped up, "I know you were planning to leave Kiru with his friends, but I think he'd appreciate it to find you watching over him when he wakes."

"You never really say what you mean," Ansem muttered, his voice shaking slightly. He kept his gazed fixed on the book lying open on the table.

"I'm straightforward when I think I need to be," Mickey replied.

Ansem frowned, still not looking up from the book but not reading it either.

"Worrying about the science of language again?"

"Do you mean, am I worried about what I'm going to say?" Ansem asked, trying to control the growing waver in his voice.

Mickey smiled slightly, putting a hand on Ansem's shoulder. "I thought it was always science with you."

"You're..." Ansem's voice was shaking violently now. Tears were building up in his eyes. "You're trying to lighten the mood, aren't you?"

Mickey didn't respond but didn't remove his hand either.

Tears began to slide down Ansem's cheeks. "I really don't understand language at all." He was speaking quickly, letting his mind wander, trying to avoid thinking about Kiru. "The subtleties of the mind, of the heart, of the light and darkness--those are what I can see. But how can the same thing be said many ways with the same intention behind the words and be understood so differently?"

Mickey sighed, his hand remaining on Ansem's shoulder. Ansem knew that he could easily see through this front, but apparently he decided to play along, maybe realizing that Ansem wasn't quite ready to talk about what was supposedly going to happen to Kiru. "You're just too hung up on what the words are _intended_ to mean. It's hard to see a person's intentions, so the execution has to match perfectly with the intentions or the person you're talking to will never know what you really meant."

"Yes, but people 'match' the intentions to the execution in many different ways. And no matter how clearly I say the words it seems like-"

"Don't worry about Kairi so much. Once we get Sora back, I'm sure she'll come around."

Ansem stopped speaking. His tears dripped down his chin. "But how did you know what I meant?" he breathed, his voice barely more than a whisper. He had thought that Mickey would pass his talk of language off as pure babble designed to end the subject of Kairi's dream, but somehow Mickey had known that there was a true underlying worry. He himself hadn't really realized that he had been talking about Kairi--not until Mickey had mentioned it, but he knew that Mickey was right. His mind had simply jumped from one grave worry to another slightly less painful but still important one.

Mickey laughed slightly, his voice a little tight. "Execution is important, but it isn't everything. And with an understanding of the person, you learn to know what certain tones and inflection imply."

"So I can't talk to Kairi because she doesn't know me?"

"That's part of it. But it's mostly because she refuses to try to understand you. She seems to want to believe that you're a version of the other Ansem, maybe even that Ansem himself. I guess it gives her a place to take out her anger and frustration over what happened to Sora."

Ansem frowned in concentration, running over what Mickey had said in his mind and trying to make sense out of it. But even his worries about Kairi were a bit hard to concentrate on for very long at this particular moment.

"All this talk about language has been interesting, but it's not doing anything about how much you want to see Kiru."

Ansem looked up at Mickey in surprise. Once again the mouse had accurately predicted his thoughts. "I don't know how to talk to any of them about this and...my own concerns."

"Kiru knows you, Ansem. Even though this is an...awkward situation, I'm sure he'll understand the intentions behind anything that you say to him. Kairi and Riku might not trust you, although I really couldn't tell with Riku, but I doubt there's anything to be done about that. And Kiru might help bring them around."

"So you think I should just go there?"

"Of course. There's no real reason not to, is there?"

Ansem considered this. "If Kairi is there, then my presence might create tension."

Mickey sighed and stated very patiently, "Ansem, this is about Kiru. I'm sure that you and Kairi both will be on your best behavior so as not to compromise his happiness. And he would want you to be there, wouldn't he?"

Ansem couldn't argue with that. He snapped the book shut and stood, abandoning it on the table. He still hadn't even looked at what it was about. "I suppose I'll go then."

Mickey nodded. "Yes. Go ahead."

"All right." Ansem tried to unobtrusively wipe the tears from his cheeks. He strode toward the heavy library doors but stopped just before them. "King Mickey, thank you."

Mickey smiled at him. "It's not a problem, Ansem. I know you're not a good person to be in this sort of situation anyway. Your personality is too...bright."

Ansem frowned, considering these words. He wasn't able to understand Mickey's meaning, so he simply nodded his farewell, pulled open a door, and left the room.

* * *

Aros entered the hotel just in time to see Iraki's form disappearing into the room that he recognized as belonging to the four people that he was trying to find. Aros swore. He had been hoping not to encounter her again. _But maybe this could be to my advantage. She's probably looking for the mirror, too. If they agree to help her, then she'll take me right there._

Grinning now, Aros motioned to the Heartless to follow him along the hallway. He needed a place where he could hear them talking. If they mentioned the whereabouts of the mirror and he heard, then he could be on his way there before Iraki even emerged from the room. _I can stand right in front of the door. I'll definitely be able to hear from there, and if anyone is about to leave the room they'll probably mention it first. Even if someone does see me, it's really not a problem. Not when I have **two** Keyblades in my possession._

At this thought, an eagerness for a chance to test fighting with two Keyblades rose inside Aros, and he considered bursting into the room and MAKING them tell him where the mirror was. His hand was on the knob before he really realized what he was doing and stopped himself. There was no point in picking a fight with five people when he could easily get the information he needed in other ways. Putting a finger to his lips and looking at the Heartless warningly, he took his hand from the knob and instead stood just outside the door, listening intently.

He listened, scowling, as the people inside the room asked Iraki if she was okay and fussed about her health. When Auron began asking her questions, however, he perked up immediately.

"Did you lose them?"

"Auron!" Iraki cried.

Aros shook his head. What, was she surprised that he was there?

"Do you know this girl?" cried a voice he recognized as being the young blond man with the sword--Tidus.

"Know her? No. But she was here with Sora and Aros."

"What!?"

Aros bit back an oath. Iraki had been trailing them for that long?

"She used a low-level invisibility spell to conceal her presence, but it was really quite easy to see through."

Aros narrowed his eyes. Auron had seen Iraki when they had visited the hotel room before? But why hadn't he told anyone?

"Why didn't you say anything about this before?" Tidus demanded.

"You hid from us?" Another voice--the perky blond girl, Rikku.

"No, not from you! I was hiding from Sora and Aros."

"Did Ansem send you?" Auron asked.

"Yes."

Aros scowled. He had suspected that might be the case. _But I wonder what he has Kiru doing? I know Kiru crossed to the other side of the mirror. Riku proved that. But what's over there that's of any interest?_

"I expected as much. Your name?"

"Iraki."

"What were you trying to accomplish?"

Aros raised his eyebrows, abandoning his thoughts of Kiru. Perhaps listening in on Iraki would get him more information than just the location of the mirror.

"I was supposed to follow Sora and keep following him, no matter what happened."

"No matter what happened?"

"Yes. No matter what happened."

"And has Sora...?"

"Yes. Aros stole his heart."

"WHAT!?" Tidus cried. "How could he do that? I knew there was something fishy about that guy, but...but..."

Aros couldn't help snickering. Something fishy about him? They all really were clueless.

"Tidus, put your sword away." This voice he recognized as belonging to the brown-haired woman, the healer--Yuna.

"And what is it that brings you here? You've lost them, correct?" Auron broke in.

"I have. Aros and I fought, and...I lost. But I know where he was going. He has the Silver Keyblade now. He's headed to the mirror. Or, at least, he was when he knocked me out. I...I don't know how long ago that was."

"Aros has the Silver Keyblade?" Auron cried.

Aros grinned at the shock in his normally controlled voice. _Even he underestimated me!_

"Yes. He took it from me."

Auron's voice returned to its typical gruffness. "You don't have a weapon?"

There was a pause, presumably during which Iraki shook her head no.

"Then Tidus and Yuna will escort you to the mirror."

"You know where the mirror is?"

Aros leaned so close to the door that his head brushed against it. _Say it! Tell her where it is!_

"It's the mural in the Secret Waterway."

Aros could hardly contain his excitement. _That's it!_ But his face fell almost immediately. _Secret Waterway? What Secret Waterway?_ He scowled and considered smacking Sora but realized that the Heartless would probably make a noise if he did and alert them to his presence.

Aros continued listening as the people in the room fussed over Iraki again. No more was said of the location of the Secret Waterway. Obviously Iraki's escorts already knew where it was.

But finally Aros got the information he was looking for.

"Whenever you're ready," Tidus offered, "It's just off the back balcony. We'll be there in no time."

The back balcony? How could he possibly follow them off of that without being seen? _I'll just have to break into a different room is all. None of them will be looking up at the other balconies._

"Let's go."

And as Aros heard the footsteps of Iraki and her two escorts headed out of their hotel room, he ran two doors down, having heard Iraki go into the next door hotel room before to change. The last thing he wanted was to break into a room with an unlocked door separating it from the room where Auron was. Not that he was afraid of the man, of course.

Aros summoned the Black Keyblade and stuck it in the lock, hearing a satisfying _click_ as the lock released. He dashed into the hotel room and out onto the balcony in the back. The minute he stepped outside and looked around, he noticed the opening to the waterway that never would have caught his attention if he hadn't been looking for it. An idea occurred to him then. He wouldn't mind fighting off Tidus, Yuna, and Iraki, but with the help of a small distraction he wouldn't need to waste his time. He could easily reach the mirror on his own now.

Aros's grip around the hilt of the Black Keyblade tightened. Waste of time? Testing out fighting with two Keyblades wouldn't be a waste of time!

But a little voice in the back of his mind told him that, if stealing Tidus's and Yuna's hearts wasn't a waste of time, then he couldn't pretend that stealing Iraki's was.

He turned to Sora. "Attack them. Take their hearts, let them hurt you--do whatever you need to so that they stay away from that waterway. Maybe you can even call some of your_ friends_ to help you. We'll meet again at the fountain in the Second District."

Sora immediately began waving his hands, giving the soundless cry to other Heartless that would draw them to him. Then he jumped from the balcony, landing right in front of Tidus, Yuna, and Iraki.

Simultaneously, Aros dove off the other side of the balcony so that his and Sora's landings sounded like one person dropping to the ground instead of two. Without even looking back to see if he had been noticed, Aros jumped into the water and dashed into the waterway, splashing carelessly all the way. He could hear shouts behind him, but those three really didn't bother him anymore. Once he had unlocked Crossroads City, destroying the world would be simple. No one would be able to stop him.

Inside the waterway, Aros didn't waste any time looking around. The minute he spotted the mural, he ran right for it. Summoning the Silver Keyblade, he stuck it into the mirror.

_Click._

Aros's maniacal laughter filled the Secret Waterway. Success! It had been so easy...


	24. Awakening

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 24: Awakening**

"You should get some sleep," Riku whispered. He sat next to Kiru's bed, arms crossed as if trying to look unconcerned, but the anxiousness in his eyes was obvious.

"I'm fine," Kairi lied. She sat across the bed from Riku, her head leaning slightly against the wall. Her eyelids were drooping, and she knew it. "I want to be here when he wakes up."

Kiru let out another moan, jerking both of their attention to him for a second before they realized he was still just dreaming.

"We're going to have to leave soon after he wakes up," Riku pressed, "You need to sleep, Kairi."

Kairi sighed and stared down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them in her lap as she tried to make a decision. "You'll get me when he wakes, right?"

"Of course."

She forced a smile and looked across at Riku. "Thanks, Riku. For...for everything."

Riku looked slightly confused, but he smiled back at her. "It's nothing, Kairi."

"I'll go take a nap, then. I'll be right across the hall."

"I know. I'll get you when he wakes up."

Kairi nodded and looked down one last time at Kiru before turning and leaving the room.

Riku watched the door close behind her, then turned his own attention back to Kiru. It was obvious that he was having a nightmare, and, after what Riku had learned about Kiru's dreams, he could only hope it wasn't the future that Kiru was seeing.

_"Riku...take care of Iraki. Take care of Iraki if anything happens to me..."_

Riku sighed. He had been hoping that Kiru's almost losing his heart was what he had dreamt about before, but, if he was still dreaming about it now, then it had to be something else. Something that had not happened yet. _What did you see, Kiru? What was it that shook you so badly?_

Kiru let out another moan. It seemed that every second of the dream was taking an hour to live.

"Why do things have to be this way?" Riku muttered, almost to himself, "Why does everyone have to get hurt? Even Kairi's involved, this time."

His thoughts focused inward, turning over the things he had learned in the meeting room in his head. This new Ansem seemed like an impossibility. Riku wanted to hate him, to believe that he was the old Ansem so that he could finally pay him back for everything that he had done to him. But something inside Riku kept telling him that this Ansem wasn't like the old Ansem at all. He could feel it, somehow, a very different feeling from this Ansem than the feeling that he remembered from when...when Ansem had misled him. Riku felt like, if this Ansem had even the tiniest bit of the other Ansem inside, he would know it.

Kiru let out a distinct cry this time, thrashing violently under the sheets. Riku jerked back to reality, turning to him. Kiru had stopped jerking, but his face was contorted in horror. "Why?" he mumbled, "Why does it have to be like this?" Riku leaned closer to catch his almost indistinct words. "Iraki, I'm sorry. I don't want to leave you. I don't want you to be alone..."

Riku's eyes widened as the light caught the tears trailing down Kiru's cheeks. He was crying in his sleep!

"Iraki...Iraki, I'll miss you. I'll miss you..."

Kiru lapsed back into silence, tears still falling. He let out a slight whimper, anguish clearly visible in his features. What was he seeing? Riku wanted to call out to him, to demand an answer now, but he couldn't. He couldn't wake Kiru when Kiru was in such a vulnerable state. Kiru wouldn't want anyone to see him like this; he would want to pretend that it had never happened...

Riku stood, stepping away from the bed. He stayed standing in the middle of the room for a long time, trying to decide whether it was worse for Kiru to awaken and find no one or to awaken and find that someone--and not just someone, but Riku--had seen him dreaming. He finally turned and opened the door, slipping quietly out of the room. He left it open a crack and sat determinedly on the floor just outside. If Kiru woke up, he would give him a chance to hide his tears, and then he would be there to greet him and congratulate him on his return to health.

But he knew that any excitement in the reunion would an act on both their parts.

* * *

Iraki was about to jump right off the balcony when Tidus put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Let me go first."

Iraki frowned a bit--she was quite sure that she could jump down without hurting herself--but she was in too much of a hurry to argue, so she simply nodded.

Tidus turned and jumped off the balcony. He had hardly straightened and turned before Iraki jumped after him. She purposefully landed a few feet away from him so that he wouldn't try to steady her as if she couldn't land well on her own. She stumbled slightly when she hit the ground, but straightened in an instant, catching her balance almost immediately.

Yuna jumped last, landing just in front of Tidus and tripping over her skirt a bit, stumbling into his arms. She looked a little sheepish at her landing, but Tidus seemed quite happy about it. Iraki couldn't help but grin, glad that she hadn't been in the way and prevented that moment from happening.

Tidus and Yuna pulled away from each other, and Iraki turned to look at her surroundings, noticing immediately the waterway before her.

But all she had time to do was notice it before two figures landed in front of her. A Heartless was right before her, staying down in a crouch and tensing to attack. Beyond it was Aros, his back turned and dashing toward the waterway the second his feet hit the ground.

"Hey, get back here!" Tidus yelled. His sword was in his hand and he was after Aros already.

But the Heartless that Tidus had been completely ignoring dove into him, sinking its claws into his chest and back and hanging off his side. Tidus tried to move his arm enough to tilt his sword up and slash it, but the Heartless was keeping its claws firmly wedged in his skin.

"No, don't!" Iraki cried. There was only Heartless that traveled alone with Aros. "That Heartless is Sora!"

"Sora?" Tidus froze, and the Heartless let go with one hand, raking its claws down his face. "Hey!" Tidus started swinging his body, trying to dislodge the Heartless that way, but this was just as useless as trying to free his arm. "Yuna, Iraki, get Aros!" he finally cried, throwing himself to the ground in an attempt to pin the Heartless between his body and the brick pavement.

The Heartless let out a shriek. Afterwards its mouth remained open, working as if emitting some sort of soundless cry.

And finally all the soundless cries it had been giving were answered. Heartless came squeezing through the boxes at the end of the alley in the First District. Heartless poured out of the Dalmatian House and the door to the Second District. Heartless even came out of the Hotel rooms, crowding the balconies--all except the one outside of the room where Auron and Rikku were. Only a few had made it to that balcony, and, as the door opened, the sounds of battle could be heard from within the room. Some Heartless even materialized right around Tidus, Yuna, and Iraki, cutting them off completely from reaching the Secret Waterway.

Yuna and Iraki both stopped in their paths. Yuna stepped up right next to Iraki. She held her arms out before her, then brought them together, twirling her staff.

A great beast with colorful wings and a giant wheel on its back appeared out of nowhere. It soared high into the air and let out a guttural growl before plummeting to the ground at a terrifying speed, landing with a crash and another growl not far in front of Yuna. The force of the impact sent chunks of brick flying into the air.

Yuna must have given a signal of some sort, but Iraki's attention was too transfixed on the wondrous creature to notice. The beast suddenly jumped backwards, pawing the ground for a moment before it dug its claws in, hunching over, as the gigantic wheel on its back began to spin, glowing with energy. The creature brought its head up, emitting an enormous energy blast from its mouth.

A path through the Heartless as wide as the creature itself was cleared by the astonishing attack. "Go!" Yuna cried, putting a hand on Iraki's shoulder and spurring her ahead.

Iraki shook herself from her reverie and began dashing through the ranks of Heartless. They converged in on her, claws slashing. She could hear the beast's roars behind her and even some explosions as it continued to attack the Heartless. Tidus and Yuna were both yelling, but Iraki did not turn back. She ran madly, trying to get to the Secret Waterway before the Heartless charging at her from both sides could reach her.

But then an even worse sight met Iraki's eyes. Aros emerged from the entrance to the Secret Waterway. And he was laughing. "You've failed, Iraki! It's hopeless now! Crossroads City is MINE!"

* * *

"Riku?"

Riku jerked his head up, pulled from the doze that he had unintentionally fallen into, and looked to see who was there. For a second he wondered if Kiru had managed to get up and come out here without Riku's hearing him, but then he saw the figure of Ansem striding down the hall toward him.

"Why are you out here? Is everything okay?"

For a second Riku considered just not answering at all, but he didn't know Ansem well enough yet to be able to predict how he would react to being ignored. He might just pester Riku all the more. "Everything's fine. He's still sleeping."

Ansem frowned slightly at this uninformative answer, but Riku didn't say anything else, so he seemed to shrug off his curiosity. "Is it okay if I go in?"

Riku turned his gaze to the door to Kairi's room, trying to look as if he didn't care and wasn't really paying attention. "Do what you want."

"Riku?"

Riku raised an eyebrow at Ansem's nervous tone, his gaze shifting back to him. "Yeah?"

"I wanted to thank you. For what you did for Kiru."

Riku's eyes widened. He tried not to let any other reaction show, although inside his mind was racing. Was this Ansem really so completely different from the other one? Riku of all people should be able to tell, but it was still hard for him to trust Ansem, especially when he'd seen so little of him so far. Although, the things he had seen Ansem do were things the other Ansem never would have even thought of. He had tried to save Kiru, tried to come up with a plan for saving Sora, and even come to watch over Kiru while he slept.

Now if only Riku could understand the "confrontation" he had witnessed between Ansem and Kairi. There was obviously more going on here than what he had been told, and he wished he could make sense out of it. It seemed like Ansem and Kairi were at odds with each other over something important concerning Kiru's health. But what in the world could make Kairi want to leave Kiru behind? _She hasn't...hasn't given up on Sora for another, has she? She wouldn't... And she never objected to Sora's journey. So even if she did...love him, why wouldn't she want him to go with us?_

Riku tried to push those worries away as he responded to Ansem. "I did nothing anyone else wouldn't have done. You and Kairi were the ones who saved him."

"But none of that would have been possible if not for you! We almost ran out of time anyway. If not for your speed, I don't think we would have made it."

"I'm just glad he's all right."

Ansem smiled, but Riku could sense a sadness hovering just behind those silver eyes. "We all are."

They were silent for a moment, Riku still trying in vain to understand what it was that everyone else seemed to know about Kiru. Finally Ansem turned back to the door. "I'm going to go in."

Riku pulled himself to his feet. If Ansem was going to be in there when Kiru awoke, there was no reason why he couldn't be, too.

Ansem smiled slightly, then opened the door and strode through it, leaving it open behind him.

Riku followed him inside, both of them making straight for the bed but headed for opposite sides. Riku sat where he had been before, but Ansem simply stood on the other side of the bed, staring down at Kiru with unveiled concern in his eyes.

Kiru looked much as he had when Riku had left him. The tracks of dried tears were still visible on his cheeks, and he was sleeping restlessly, tangling the sheets about his body. His dream had not yet ended.

Seeing the tears, Ansem mused, "So that's why." He looked down at Riku, catching the younger man's eye, and smiled appreciatively.

Riku looked away. "I don't know what you mean."

Ansem's grin remained on his face. "It is rather dark in here. We'll both just pretend we couldn't see the tears."

Riku turned his gaze back to Ansem almost curiously. This man really was everything that Ansem hadn't been, wasn't he? And if that were true, maybe he would be willing to tell Riku what he wanted to know. If it weren't true, well...Riku could still try to get some information anyway. "Why is he so restless?" Riku demanded.

Ansem's eyes widened at the question. He was quiet for a moment, staring pensively down at Kiru's face.

"Are you going to answer?"

Ansem sighed, seemingly overlooking Riku's rudeness. "Did he tell you anything about his dreams?" he asked, keeping his gaze fixed on Kiru.

"I know Kiru dreams about the future."

Ansem nodded, his gaze still on Kiru's fitfully sleeping face. "That's why. It's the dream he's seeing that's making him so restless."

"And you know what that dream is?"

Ansem fixed his gaze on Riku now. He replied very directly, his tone completely serious and almost regretful. "Yes, but it is not _my_ choice whether or not to tell it to others."

Riku's eyes widened now. He hadn't been expecting that answer. Then his eyes narrowed as he realized the obvious flaw in Ansem's response. Maybe this Ansem wasn't the "light" person he seemed to be after all. "How could you know? Kiru told me he was having a new dream. You haven't seen him since before all this started, and you definitely haven't had a chance to talk to him since he arrived here."

Ansem ignored Riku's accusatory tone. "Kiru is not the only one who dreams," he replied tersely.

And then everything clicked in Riku's mind. This was the cause of the tension between Kairi and Ansem! Kairi...Kairi had seen the same dream!? _No, that can't be. If she could see the future in her dreams, she would have told us! We would have known years ago, before anything had happened. Even before the darkness first came to our world..._ "Who else has these dreams?"

Ansem smiled a little sadly. "I'm sorry, Riku. It is not my place to reveal that, either. I have already revealed it to far too many people. I did not think about it at the time... That is a mistake that I will not repeat."

"It's Kairi, isn't it?"

Ansem's eyes widened for an instant at this response, but then he seemed to bring his emotions under control. He addressed Riku with that same sad smile, but Riku thought he could almost see a hint of satisfaction hidden within it. "You would have to ask her, I'm afraid." Then Ansem seemed to realize something. "Where is Kairi? Is she all right? I had forgotten... She used the White Keyblade..."

"She's across the hall, sleeping."

"Ah. Good. I'm sure she needs it."

Before Riku could ask anything else, Kiru stirred, and their attention immediately went to him. His sky blue eyes snapped open, staring blankly up at the ceiling for a moment before Kiru fully came to his senses and he realized that he was not alone.

Kiru scrambled to a sitting position, looking back and forth between Ansem and Riku in surprise and rubbing the tear tracks from his cheeks while trying to look as if he were rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Ansem, Riku. It's great to see both of you!"

"It is wonderful to see you as well, Kiru. How are you feeling? Healthy? Is your heart all right?"

"I feel fine," Kiru assured Ansem, grinning widely. A slight pain was visible in his eyes, but he seemed to be trying to put his dream from his mind.

"That's good to hear," Ansem replied, grinning back.

"Riku, I..." Kiru turned his attention to Riku now. "I want to thank you. For saving me."

"I owed you," Riku replied, shrugging slightly.

Kiru shook his head but didn't say anything. He looked back to the golden-haired man. "You too, Ansem. You helped, too."

"I did very little. It was Kairi and Riku who truly saved you. And I'm just glad to have you back."

A flash of sadness passed through Kiru's eyes at these last words. Riku remembered again what he had heard Kiru say when he had awakened from a dream of the future back in Traverse Town. _Something is going to happen to him. They both know it. Even Kairi knows it._

"Yes, it's good to be back," Kiru stated, a fake grin plastered on his face now. He frowned. "Where's Kairi?"

"She needed some sleep after using the Keyblade," Ansem responded.

Kiru's eyes widened. "Is she okay?"

Ansem laughed. "Don't worry, Kiru. She's the White Keyblade Master, after all. And you're the one who has such an affinity for causing things to backfire on you."

Both Kiru and Riku turned to Ansem in confusion.

"The White Keyblade," Ansem prompted, looking as if he had expected them to know this already, "Kiru, when you used its purpose for light to save Riku even though you weren't its master, it backfired against you with its purpose for darkness."

"What!?"

"The White Keyblade restores hearts, but it also has the power to destroy them," Ansem continued, "If your injury had been any graver, your heart itself might have died. But thankfully, your heart was simply severely weakened. Although that did leave the Heartless with the perfect opening to attack you..."

Ansem trailed off, and there was silence for a moment as Riku and Kiru absorbed this unexpected information. Riku suddenly realized there was something else that he was missing. He broke in, "What do you mean about Kiru's affinity for causing things to backfire on him?"

Ansem simply looked at Kiru, and Kiru sighed. "I can't use magic," he explained, "It usually doesn't work, and if it does, well...it tends to backfire."

Riku's eyes widened. "Backfire?"

Kiru nodded. "Yeah. So I can only use low-level spells, and only if I think I have no other choice. Is it...is it the same for you?"

Riku simply stared for a second. The same for him? Why would Kiru ask that? But they _were_ parallels, although obviously Kiru's ability to see the future in his dreams wasn't the same for both of them. "I've never used magic before," Riku admitted.

"Never used magic!?" Ansem declared, "You should have said something earlier! We need to do something about that."

Riku turned to Ansem in surprise. "What do you mean by that?"

"I am going to teach you to use magic, of course!"

Kiru laughed at the look on Riku's face. "Don't worry, Riku. He knows what he's doing. He's the one who taught me." Realizing what he had just implied, Kiru added, "But my problem isn't his fault! And when the magic does work, it's actually really powerful."

"We need to start immediately. You all are leaving soon. We don't have much time..."

"We have to bring Kiru to the meeting room first," piped up a voice from the doorway. Everyone turned to find Kairi standing there smiling, looking more cheerful and vibrant than she had in a while. "How are you feeling, Kiru?"

"Completely fine," Kiru assured her, "I don't know how to thank you-"

Kairi put a finger to her lips to cut him off. "You don't have to say a thing. You've given me a way to save Sora, after all!"

"Kairi did promise to bring you to the meeting room when you were awake," Ansem stated to Kiru, "We need to make our final plans. Riku, you and I will just have to train after the meeting. And Kiru, I..." Ansem's voice seemed to catch in his throat, and he covered it up with a cough, "I would like to talk to you before you leave."

Kiru's eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded. "Sure."

"Then let's head to the meeting room," Kairi stated, "Can you stand all right, Kiru?"

Kiru laughed. "I'm fine, Kairi. Really." And to prove it, he jumped right out of bed, standing without the slightest bit of a waver. Kairi clapped, Ansem smiled openly, and even Riku couldn't resist a grin.

"All right, then. Let's go," Kairi declared, leading the way out of the room.


	25. Inevitability

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 25: Inevitability  
**

The discussion in the meeting room was actually quite short and mostly consisted of Ansem's giving a better explanation of what exactly had happened to Kiru and everyone's verifying that Kiru really was all right now. The only real decision made was that the Keyblade Masters would not leave until after Ansem had taught magic to Riku and after a feast had been provided for them. Queen Minnie had insisted on the feast, and she had repeatedly assured everyone that there would be no formalities involved. It would be just like a regular meal, simply with more food provided. After all, there was no telling how long it would be before the Keyblade Masters had another chance to eat. Although most everyone there, especially Ansem, was still worried about how much time this would all take, the queen made it very clear that there would be no arguments on the matter. The queen also orchestrated the preparation of backpacks for the Keyblade Masters filled with food and various potions.

After the meeting, Ansem and Riku left to begin Riku's training. Kairi said that she needed to go lie down, and Kiru said the same. The others stayed in the room to continue discussing their battle plans. As Ansem kept assuring them, the Heartless were coming to the King's Castle, and soon.

After Riku and Ansem had gone one way and Kairi and Kiru the other, Kiru, who had been walking slightly behind Kairi, stepped up beside her, matching his pace with hers.

They were silent for a moment, Kiru wanting to speak to her but unable to say the words. Kairi kept her eyes trained on the ground, purposely not looking at him. He wondered why, and it unnerved him. Finally, he decided that he had better say something or they would wind up reaching their rooms and separating before he ever told her what he wanted to. Taking a deep breath, he began nervously, "I know you didn't want me to before, right after I woke up, but I...I really wanted to thank you again. You know, really thank you without...passing out in the middle of it." Kiru frowned, feeling sheepish. Couldn't he have said that any better?

"You don't need to thank me. You were the one who had to work so hard to find me, and then you gave me the White Keyblade, and that's my chance to save Sora. You've done so much for me already. How could I not help you?" Kairi's gaze came up to his now, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Well, I..." Kiru faltered. He finally settled for, "Thank you."

Kairi smiled grimly. "You're welcome. Oh, Kiru..."

Kiru's eyes widened as her eyes suddenly brimmed with tears. "Kairi, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I..." Now it seemed to be Kairi's turn to be tongue-tied. "I..." Her voice caught in her throat, but she managed to force the next sentence out. "I have dreams, too."

Kiru stopped in his tracks, his expression stricken. "Dreams? You don't mean...?"

Kairi stopped beside him. "Ansem told me about your dreams," she explained. A tear slid down her cheek. "And we realized...I realized... My dreams aren't the same as your dreams. First I see events from the past, but then...then the past changes, and all of a sudden..." Kairi took a deep breath. "All of a sudden I'm seeing the future."

Kiru took an involuntary step back, all his features exuding shock. "You mean...you see things, too? You see them, and then they happen later, and...and you knew they would before they happened..." His words cut off abruptly, and his face was filled with an expression of pure terror. "You haven't...seen any dreams lately, have you?"

Kairi nodded solemnly, more tears falling.

"So, you know?"

"We can't let it happen, Kiru!" Kairi burst out, "We won't let you do that. You won't get hurt like that. You don't have to do it, Kiru! You don't!"

Kiru looked down, sighing. This was exactly why he never wanted to share his dreams. They were always so hard for anyone to accept. "These dreams can't be changed, Kairi."

Kairi shook her head viciously. He would not look at her to see the expression in her eyes, but he knew it was desperation. "But you know now, Kiru! What reason do you have to go through with it when you know what will happen?"

Kiru finally brought his eyes back up, his intense sky blue gaze locking onto her deeper blue one. "You and Riku are my reason."

"What!?"

Kiru narrowed his eyes. "You said you saw the past. So you didn't see everything, did you?"

"No, I...I guess not. What I saw was like the destruction of Destiny Islands. Right up until you...until you..."

"Shh," Kiru whispered, "Don't worry about it, Kairi."

"_Don't worry about it!?_" Kairi burst out. Her tearstained face was red with anger now, and tears continued to pour down her cheeks. "Kiru, I saw you die! How can you tell me not to worry about it? Do you think it doesn't matter to me? Do you think I could just let you get yourself killed without caring!?"

Kiru took a step back, shocked by the intensity of her reaction. His eyes saddened. "That's not what I meant, Kairi," he said quietly, no longer meeting her gaze but staring down at the ground instead. "I just meant...there's no reason to dwell on something that we can't change."

"Can't change!? But Kiru, if you just don't-"

Kiru shook his head, and Kairi's words died on her tongue. "In my dream...I saw exactly what would happen. The Heartless were attacking. Riku was there, and someone was fighting with the White Keyblade. I couldn't tell if it was you or Iraki at the time, but I know now that it was definitely you. The Heartless knocked your Keyblade away, and I lost sight of you. I couldn't find Riku either. You were yelling, and Riku was yelling, and the Heartless were everywhere, and...and I had no choice, Kairi. I had to do it. Losing you or Riku...either way would be a thousand times worse than losing me. No, when it comes down to it, I'm sure I'll do exactly what I did in the dream. I just can't risk not doing it."

"Kiru..." Kairi's voice was lost somewhere in her throat. She tried to say more, but all that emerged was a sob. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Kiru was supposed to listen to her, he was supposed to promise her that, no matter what it came down to, he wouldn't go through with it. He wasn't supposed to be giving valid reasons why events couldn't go any other way!

"I might live through it," Kiru offered weakly.

Kairi just looked down at the ground, still unable to say another word.

"Kairi, just...just try to remember that I'm happy to do it. Okay? I'm happy to go down that way. It's better than any other death I can think of."

"But Kiru," Kairi sobbed, "It was...gruesome."

"I thought it was heroic," Kiru joked. Kairi just gave another immense sob. Kiru took a step forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "Please don't cry, Kairi. I need you to be strong. You still have to save Sora, remember?"

Kairi sobbed again and looked up at Kiru in confusion. _Why is he worrying about me? What makes my life so much more important than Kiru's? It's because Ansem says that the three White Keyblade Masters can reveal the final Keyhole, isn't it? But...what if Ansem's wrong? There's no reason for Kiru to..._

"There's a lot left to this adventure, Kairi. I'm counting on you to be strong, and so is everyone else. Ansem, Riku...Sora."

Kairi's tears slowed as she continued to stare into Kiru's eyes. "You...really mean it, don't you? Ansem...are you just saying that I'm important because of what you heard from him?"

Now it was Kiru's turn to be confused. The edge in her voice was completely unexpected. He stepped back, withdrawing his hand. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Ansem, I mean..." Kairi looked away. Her tears had stopped now, and the pain of emptiness in her heart flared up again.

"Ansem has done so much for me that nothing I ever do could possibly repay him," Kiru stated seriously, "Please don't judge by appearances. I haven't known you very long, but...I think you're above that. Or you would be if you weren't in so much pain already."

Kairi's eyes widened. Was that really what she was doing? Was she judging Ansem by his appearance? _Well, his actions certainly haven't been even the least bit suspicious. And Kiru seems to fully trust him, too... Have I really been such a fool?_

"Don't worry, Kairi. I know that Ansem is willing to forgive most anything in an instant. And you will be strong, won't you?"

Kairi locked her gaze onto Kiru's again. She could feel fresh tears building up in her eyes, but something in his expression made her want to hold them in. "Of course I will. For everyone. For Sora. For you."

Kiru smiled slightly. "Thank you, Kairi. I know you'll do wonderfully."

Kairi tried to smile back, valiantly keeping her tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Kiru. About everything."

"Don't be. Remember, I'm happy to do it."

Kairi choked back a sob. Kiru resumed walking toward his room, and she followed, just behind him. She knew that, if she tried to say another word, she would start crying again.

And even though Kiru would have liked to say more to her, he made sure to keep his face turned ahead. He couldn't let Kairi see the tears that were sliding down his own cheeks.

* * *

Ansem and Riku stood across from each other in a seemingly deserted courtyard. Riku couldn't tell if Ansem was aware of their audience or not, but his ears, unusually sharp due to his current sensitivity to the light, couldn't help but pick up the rustle of movement of the servants who had suddenly decided to water plants, wash windows, and generally do any chore at all that gave them even a partial view of the courtyard.

"Are you ready?" Ansem asked.

Riku tried to focus his attention on the other man and ignore those who were lurking around them. He _hated_ being watched and gawked at. The feeling of all the people's eyes on him made it extremely hard for him to concentrate. Finally he called the Golden Keyblade to his hand, trying to shut out the gasps and whispers that this brought about, and shifted into an attack stance, half-expecting Ansem to start by launching a spell at him.

"Same stance as Kiru," Ansem commented, "All right then, we'll begin." He held out a hand before him. "Light!" he cried.

A white flash shot out from Ansem's palm. Riku moved to block but realized that it wasn't aimed at him. The flash struck a rock on the ground a bit to Riku's right, eradicating all but one corner of it. The remaining corner was only singed; the blast had almost entirely missed it.

"Magic comes from inside you," Ansem explained, "It can't be truly 'taught.' A person can only be shown how to use the magic that they had the potential for all along. The spells that you have an aptitude for learning and even your overall skill at magic are somewhat predetermined due to this phenomenon. My specialty is that light spell. It doesn't have as much offensive power as a fire spell, but it's very handy in dark places. However, despite the fact that some spells will be easier and others harder for you to learn, this is not to say that proper teaching and diligent practice are not just as important."

"So how do we know what spells I'll be able to learn quickly?" Riku interrupted.

"I should be able to judge somewhat, based on your personality. Otherwise, we test and see."

"So how do I...call up this magic from inside me?" Riku asked, impatient to really start the training. He didn't do well with long explanations.

"It's actually quite similar to calling and dismissing a Keyblade. At least, that's what Kiru and Iraki told me. You'll want to close your eyes the first few times until you're more used to focusing correctly."

Riku nodded and closed his eyes, waiting rather impatiently for Ansem to continue. When the man said nothing, he opened one eye to see what was causing the holdup.

Ansem stood across from him just as before, looking as if he were studying Riku. Seeing the open eye, he stated in the same carefree tone as usual, "Keep them closed and relax."

Riku was startled slightly; he hadn't been expecting Ansem to be looking right at him. He closed his eyes and attempted to calm down. Somehow the eyes boring into him felt even worse when he couldn't actually see the watching people and had no way to judge how many there were or how they were reacting.

"Reach inside, like you do to call a Keyblade. Except this time, picture a flame in your mind and try to find it inside you. Don't grab it. Just feel it."

Riku pictured crackling flames, burning brightly. The image came easily into his mind. He could almost feel the light of the flames stinging his sensitive eyes. Wait...he _could_ feel the flames. And suddenly he knew what he had to do. "FIRE!"

Riku opened his eyes to watch the fireball go soaring past the side of Ansem and hit a bush behind him, igniting it.

"You didn't let me finish," Ansem stated, his voice as carefree as ever. "You need to focus the flame to a particular place, or your aim will be completely erratic. Without a Keyblade, I can't focus as well as you will be able to, which is why I missed part of the rock. But I believe THAT"--he gestured toward the still-burning bush--"was an even better example than my rock."

Riku could feel his face heating up, but he tried to keep his expression neutral.

"As I suspected, you seem to have an aptitude for fire. We'll have to explore further to see how far that aptitude goes. You may be able to quickly jump to the second or third level spell. But first I think we should try out Blizzard." He smiled slightly.

Riku scowled and closed his eyes before Ansem could make any more comments.

"Picture ice in your mind. Reach inside and try to find the ice there."

Riku did as he was instructed. At the mention of ice, however, his mind instead turned to an image of the ocean around Destiny Islands. He was about to send the image away when he realized that he could _feel_ the ocean. It was even clearer than the fire had been.

"Now feel the Keyblade in your hand. Take the ice from inside you and focus it into that. Send it all the way to the tip, then open your eyes, aim your Keyblade, and force it out of that."

Riku concentrated, feeling the Golden Keyblade in his hand in the same way that he could feel the ocean inside him. He tried to merge the two together, moving the ocean into the Keyblade. It wasn't an easy thing to do, bending his mind that way, but he managed it. Opening his eyes, he pointed his Keyblade at the blazing bush. He almost shouted, "Water!" but somehow he could sense that the ocean in his mind was much too vast for that. "Watera!"

A deluge of water poured from the tip of the Keyblade, soaring across the courtyard and drowning the bush completely, leaving behind a charred, dripping husk.

"Well." Ansem was grinning openly now. "That wasn't exactly the Blizzard spell that I was expecting, but I suppose it works as well. Does that spell of yours not have a level one, or did you think your little fire needed that much water to put it out?"

Riku couldn't help grinning back. "I don't know if there is a level one or not. I haven't tried it. But I'm more interested in whether or not there's a level three."

"I suppose we should try to find out then. Close your eyes."

Riku did. Ansem said nothing this time, apparently having decided to let the young man experiment on his own.

Riku pictured the ocean again in his mind. He squeezed the Keyblade in his hand and tried to _feel _both the Keyblade and the ocean. But this time, rather than trying to bring the ocean to the Keyblade, he brought the Keyblade to the ocean.

This was an even more challenging twist of his mind. He wasn't sure how long he stood there, trying to do it, before he realized that it wasn't going to work unless he quit thinking about the_ physical_ Keyblade. His mind could only move the_ feeling_ of the Keyblade--its intangible presence.

And with that realization, it suddenly became easy for Riku to move the Keyblade into the ocean. He opened his eyes, aimed at the dead bush, and cried, "Waterga!"

The flow of water not only drowned the dead bush, but it also washed over the bushes on either side of his target, the force of the water strong enough to snap off many of their branches.

"I'd say you have a definite aptitude for water," Ansem commented blandly, "So, shall we try some other spells?"

By the end of the training session, Riku had managed to learn Firaga, Waterga, a pitifully weak Thunder, Cure, Stopra, Gravira, and Aerora. Blizzard simply turned to Watera every time he tried it, so he and Ansem had finally abandoned the effort.

Riku was by now extremely exhausted. He had completely lost track of the number of Ethers he had used, and the greenery around Riku and Ansem had suffered from quite an assortment of different magical attacks.

"You're going to need to rest before you go," Ansem stated.

Riku scowled, panting slightly. He tried to hold his drooping body upright. "Five minutes and another Ether and I'll be fine."

"Please go rest. No one will be leaving quite yet anyway."

Something in Ansem's voice caused Riku to narrow his eyes. "Why not?"

"There's...something I have to do first."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't say."

Riku and Ansem stood staring at each other for a moment. Riku's suspicious glare finally caused Ansem to look away. "I have to talk to Kiru. About his dream. I can't say any more than that--not without his permission. You'd have to ask him for any details. So would you please get some rest now?"

Riku sighed, letting his glare drop. "All right."

The two left the courtyard without another word. Riku was too busy worrying about Kiru and his dream that no one would talk about to even think of saying thank you. Ansem himself was far too preoccupied to notice. They both simply walked, just a little too much distance left between them for them to be considered side-by-side, and buried their minds in their own thoughts. And both could only come to one conclusion. They could worry all they wanted, but whatever would come, would come. No matter what they tried to do about it.


	26. The Sword

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 26: The Sword  
**

Kiru really wasn't tired; he had simply been looking for an excuse to talk to Kairi. But, having nothing else to do, he went into his room, closed the door, sat on his bed, and stared down at the floor, lost in thought.

He stayed that way for a while, turning his dream, Kairi's words, and his words to her over and over in his head. His thoughts eventually turned to Iraki, and he tried to imagine how she would cope with upcoming events and to think of what he could possibly do to help her. He probably wouldn't even get to talk to her first--not unless Ansem was able to grant his request.

Iraki was needed to reveal the final Keyhole just as surely as Kairi was. He could only hope that they both would find the strength to carry on, despite everything had happened and everything that was going to happen.

Hearing footsteps, Kiru pulled himself back to reality. He heard the door to the room next to his open and close. If Kairi's room was across from his, it only stood to reason that Riku would be next door, and if Riku was back...

_"And Kiru, I...I would like to talk to you before you leave."_

_I need to find Ansem. Where would he be?_

Kiru didn't have to worry about figuring that out, though. There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Kiru called.

A young boy--apparently one of the servants--opened the door and stepped nervously into the doorway. "His Majesty King...um...Ansem has...has requested your presence at...um...at the castle's library. Follow me, and I'll...um...take you to him," the boy stuttered, the words obviously rehearsed but immediately forgotten when the time came to finally deliver the message.

Kiru smiled at the boy encouragingly. "Thanks." He stood.

The boy risked a small smile back, then, seeming to think that Kiru was getting impatient, gave a gulp and scurried out of the room, holding the door for Kiru and closing it behind him before starting down the hallway, presumably toward the library.

It didn't take long to get there. When they were standing before the heavy wooden doors, the boy gave a bow to Kiru and scurried off without another word. Escorting guests of the royal family wasn't usually part of his job description.

Kiru took a deep breath and pushed open one of the doors, stepping inside. He was a mess of different emotions at this point: excited at the reunion, nervous about what Ansem wanted to say, saddened at what Kiru would have to reveal to him--if Kairi hadn't told him already--and apprehensive about whether or not Ansem would be able to grant his request.

Ansem looked up from the book he had sitting before him. His face broke out in a grin, although there was sadness in his eyes. "Kiru! It's so good to see you. Come sit down."

He motioned to the seat across from him, and Kiru obliged, dimly noticing that Ansem had his book sitting upside-down.

"You said you wanted to talk to me," Kiru began nervously. He stopped, not sure what to say next. It was usually easy for him to talk to Ansem. Why did it seem so hard now?

"Yes, I..."

Kiru was surprised to find that Ansem sounded just as nervous as he himself felt. _Did Kairi tell him about my dream?_ A lump rose in Kiru's throat. He knew that he would have to tell Ansem himself if Kairi hadn't mentioned it, but it still hurt to think of Ansem knowing what was going to happen.

"I had to ask you... Well, have you had any new dreams lately?" Ansem had lowered his eyes to the book lying before him. He couldn't have been looking at it very hard; it was still upside-down.

Kiru took a deep breath. Here was his chance to find out what Ansem knew. "Did Kairi tell you?"

Ansem's gaze came abruptly back up to Kiru. "You know about that? Did Kairi tell you about...about what she saw?"

"Kairi told me about her dream," Kiru admitted.

"She told me as well."

So Ansem did know. Kiru sighed. Ansem knew Kairi's side of the dream, anyway. But there was much more to it than that. He would have to tell him the rest.

"Have you seen it?" Ansem broke into Kiru's thoughts.

"Twice."

A flash of pain passed through Ansem's eyes. "Would it be too hard for you to...?" He trailed off, swallowing hard.

"You want the details, right?"

"As long as... I mean, I would understand if..." Ansem's gaze had shifted back to the book again.

"Ansem."

Ansem slowly brought his eyes back up to meet Kiru's. "What is it?"

"I don't mind telling you. It would probably..." Kiru had to swallow hard before continuing. "It would probably be good for me to tell someone. Everything about it."

Ansem seemed to hesitate, as if reconsidering whether or not this was the best thing to do. Then he slowly nodded.

Kiru took a deep breath. He started from the beginning and went through every single detail of the dream, stopping only a few times in the middle when his mouth was too dry to keep speaking. When it was over, he met Ansem's silver gaze. It hurt for Kiru to see those eyes filled with such sadness and pity. Kiru swallowed hard again, trying to hold back the tears that he could feel welling up in his own eyes.

"I..." Ansem stopped, coughed slightly, and tried again. "We need to look at every element of that dream. It won't come true unless everything is there." He was making a pitiful attempt to sound businesslike. Kiru almost thought he was close to tears. He had never seen Ansem cry, and the thought of it was almost painful.

"The only thing I'm missing now is the sword," Kiru replied immediately, pretending that he hadn't noticed the undertones in Ansem's voice and trying not to think about Ansem crying. At least it had been an easy question to answer. He had been thinking about what was missing from the dream ever since he had seen it the second time so soon after the first. It seemed like it was going to come true soon, but, as long as he didn't have the sword, it couldn't happen yet.

"What would you think if...we made sure you never got that sword?"

Kiru's eyes widened, and he stared at Ansem in shock. "Are you suggesting that we try to prevent my dream from coming true!?"

"I..." Ansem shifted uncomfortably, lowering his gaze again. "I...guess I am, yes."

"No!"

The vehemence in Kiru's voice brought Ansem's gaze back up to his. "Why?"

"Because I did what I did in the dream to save Kairi and Riku! You know they're more important than I am, Ansem. We have to let this dream come true. We can't risk them for my sake!"

Ansem and Kiru simply sat for a second, gazes locked. Ansem finally sighed, realizing that Kiru was right and it had to be this way. "Then I suppose I should give you your sword."

Kiru's eyes widened again. "You mean...you have...but how can you give it to me? I'm not on your world!"

"We get to test out the other function of my machine," Ansem declared, trying to sound excited. "Stay right here. I'll be back shortly."

Ansem's form abruptly disappeared. Kiru stared at the spot where he had been sitting, his mind racing. This was completely unexpected. He had never thought that the sword in his dream would belong to Ansem. And what was even stranger to contemplate was the question that, if Kiru hadn't had the dream or hadn't told Ansem about it, would Ansem have even given him the sword? If Kiru couldn't see the future, would that future have ever come to be? Kiru smiled wryly at that thought. Fate was twisted. As much as he hated it, he knew it was true.

He realized suddenly that he had forgotten to make his request to Ansem. _I'll have to do it after he gives me the sword. I only hope there's still time..._ He mentally kicked himself for not saying it before. His conversation with Ansem had somehow gotten him sidetracked. _"Iraki...Ansem...Kairi...Riku. I wouldn't mind leaving so much, if only I weren't leaving so many people behind. If they just didn't care, if I didn't know that it's going to hurt them, I wouldn't mind dying at all. I only wish there was something I could do. Why can't they all just forget me?_

Kiru knew he didn't really mean that, but he wished all the same that his fate didn't have to cause so much pain to the people who were most important to him. He wished...that he didn't have to die.

_If it's to protect Kairi and Riku, then I will gladly do it. I know that. I won't try to change the dream. I'll even try to follow it. But still...why couldn't fate have had it some other way? Where none of us had to die? I suppose...I should be glad that I'm the one who has to make that sacrifice. I want them all to be happy._

Ansem reappeared, standing beside the table. He picked the book up, closed it, and set it gently on the floor. "Stand back. It should be here in just a second."

Although slightly confused, Kiru took a few steps back, and Ansem did the same on his side of the table. Suddenly there was a flash of light, and a silver sword with a short, curved blade appeared on the table, hanging off one side to the point where it seemed about to fall. A bit nervously, Kiru stepped forward and took hold of the black hilt, picking up the sword before it toppled off the table. It was a little lighter than the Golden Keyblade had been, but not so light as the White. Gracefully curving designs were engraved into both sides of the hilt. They were made up of swirling lines with no apparent pattern, and the blade itself had that same elegant air to it that Kiru remembered from his dream.

"I don't think we had the coordinates quite perfect..." Ansem mused to himself. Then, his voice a little quiet as if dreading the response, "What do you think, Kiru? Is that the sword?"

Kiru stared down at the weapon in his hand. There was no doubt. "Yes."

"That explains even more, then."

Kiru turned to Ansem curiously.

Ansem sighed, his gaze going down to the sword. "That particular sword...has a certain ability."

"Ability?"

"Yes. And that ability is why your dream ended the way that it did."

"So this sword really is important, then..."

"You could take a different sword."

Kiru shook his head decisively. "No. I have to follow the dream."

Fate really was twisted after all. There were many ways to avoid his dream, but Kiru couldn't bring himself to try any of them. He looked down at the sword curiously. Ansem could mean only one thing by its ability. "So then, this sword must..."

"Yes. It's the last sword I would ever think to give you."

"But that ability is why it's the deciding factor in the battle. Fate is ironic, isn't it?"

Ansem didn't reply. There was silence for a few moments until Kiru finally asked, "Do you have a sheath for it?"

"Oh, it doesn't need a sheath."

Kiru raised an eyebrow, looking back up at Ansem. "It doesn't?"

"Well, since it doesn't really exist, then there's no need for it to exist when you don't need it."

Kiru couldn't help but smile slightly. During such a dark time, it was nice to have a completely ordinary moment. It would be far too unusual to have a conversation with Ansem without getting completely confused at least once. "What exactly do you mean?"

Ansem frowned, seeming unsure how else to explain it. "You know that I can become insubstantial if I want, right? Because I'm not really here?"

"Yes."

"The sword is the same. But its existence is tied to your mind, your will. It has to do with Gummi Technology. You see..." Ansem trailed off and frowned slightly. The look on Kiru's face must have told him to leave that train of thought and continue with his explanation of the sword. "Well, what that means is that the sword will follow you. As long as the real sword on my world stays connected to the machine, then this nonexistent sword will always be with you. When you don't need it, you can will it to lose substance, much as you will away a Keyblade. When you need it again, you can will its substance to return. Even if it's knocked away from you, just take away its substance and bring its substance back, and it will return right to you. It's quite handy, really. But this is all assuming the machine works correctly."

"Ansem, I'm sure it works perfectly." Kiru concentrated, willing the sword to lose substance just as he had sent Keyblades away before, and suddenly his hand was gripping only air. He took a few steps away from the table and willed for the sword to return, holding out his left hand even though it had been in his right before.

The sword reappeared in his left hand.

"It does seem to be working, doesn't it?" Ansem commented, a tiny bit of pride in his voice.

"It's perfect," Kiru stated.

For a second there were slight smiles on both their faces, but then they remembered exactly what this sword was perfect for, and any excitement melted from their features. Kiru willed the sword away.

"I guess that's all, then," Ansem commented, "We should tell the queen that we're ready for our meal."

"Wait."

Ansem, who had started to walk away, stopped and turned back to Kiru.

"I...have a request."

Ansem raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Could you...could you help me send a dream to Iraki?"

Ansem's curiosity melted to sadness. "Of course. I'll check right now to see if she's conscious." He closed his eyes and stood that way for a moment, searching in his mind, looking through all the lights in the universe and trying to find the one that belonged to her.

Kiru stood stalk still, watching anxiously, praying that she would be resting, that he would have this last chance to be with her.

Ansem opened his eyes. "She's awake. I can't reach her."

Kiru's eagerness dissolved in an instant. "Oh. Okay. Thanks, Ansem." Ansem looked at him with pity again. Kiru cringed inwardly and tried to make his face look cheerful. "I guess it's time to get something to eat, then," he declared.

Ansem nodded. He started to walk out of the room but hesitated. "Kiru?"

"Yes?"

"You know that...I will always think of you as my son, right?"

Sky blue eyes locked on silver, and for a moment neither of them said anything more. They both understood. No words were needed. But maybe there was one thing that should be said...

"You're the only father I've ever had."

Ansem nodded and finally turned, breaking their eye contact. Kiru lowered his gaze to the floor and followed him out of the room. As they walked, they kept glancing at each other, but no more words were exchanged. They were both too absorbed in their own thoughts. Too busy wondering if this afternoon was the last time they would ever see each other.

It seemed all too real a possibility.

* * *

Iraki ran toward Aros. She didn't know what she was trying to do--what could she do now?--but she ran toward him anyway.

"Get away!" Aros bellowed, his eyes gleaming madly. "I won! I won! Just go away now!"

"NO!" Iraki shrieked. She lunged at him, outstretched fingers grasping for the Silver Keyblade, hoping desperately that she would be catching him off guard enough that maybe, just maybe, she would be able to grab it.

That move was a mistake. Aros gave an angry cry that sounded more like a snarl. He jerked the Silver Keyblade back away from her, and, in that same instant, thrust the Black Keyblade into her chest.

Iraki screamed as pain lanced through her body, immediately followed by a nightmarishly cold chill. Her outstretched hands twitched, her fingers grasping at the air as the cold held her arms in place and the pain raced through to her fingertips.

And in that moment of utter shock, Iraki managed to turn her green gaze onto Aros's brown one, and, unbelievably, beneath the madness she could see fear and...regret?

"No, no I won't. Not that. No reason. A test, a test. The other ability," Aros mumbled, almost incoherently. His eyes darted over her, taking in her every feature all at once. "I should test it of course. I can use it for self-protection, but not unless I know it works. The only way to tell is to test it on another. A test, a test. Of course a test is more important than stealing her heart. She is worthless. A test on her changes nothing. Except...I know...stealing her heart would be so easy..."

The cold inside of Iraki intensified, pressing against her heart. It felt like freezing fingers were gripping it, the cold flooding into it from them. The world around her began to darken. Iraki's arms dropped to her sides. Her knees trembled, but she kept her footing. Aros just stood there, his eyes darting over her, carrying on his insane debate with himself. His voice was slowly rising in pitch, his tone shifting from nervousness and fright to actual anger. "No, a test would be better! It would be the best protection of all after a test! She can do nothing. I should prove it works with her. I WILL test it on her!"

Iraki could only stare as tears sprang up in Aros's eyes. He was waging some war with himself, but the cold was numbing Iraki's mind too much for her to try to comprehend his struggle.

And suddenly the cold was replaced by a searing heat, and the darkness that shrouded her vision was obliterated in an instant by a flash of light. Iraki screamed from the shock of it, collapsing to her knees. Aros leaned forward, keeping the Black Keyblade held steady within her.

_Click._

The heat and light disappeared. Aros _withdrew the Black Keyblade_. Iraki collapsed, shaking, into a heap on the ground, eyes glazed and seeing spots after the bright light that had blasted her vision. Aros grabbed her still-sore shoulder roughly, producing a rather half-hearted cry from her, and flipped her onto her back. "Take her heart," he ordered a nearby Heartless.

Iraki gasped as the cold fingers of a Heartless were obediently sunk into her chest.


	27. The Storm

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 27: The Storm  
**

The meal was awkwardly quiet. Everyone seemed to be too busy thinking about other things to really interact. They all just ate, hardly tasting the food that had been so lavishly prepared.

"Are we...leaving right away after this?" Kairi asked nervously, more to break the oppressive silence than anything else.

Ansem cleared his throat, making it obvious that he meant to answer the question, although he seemed to have to think for a moment first. "Almost right away," he said finally, "There's a small thing I would like to do first."

He gave Kiru a significant look. Kiru's eyes widened, and a grateful smile lit up his face. Kairi had been about to pointedly ask what it was Ansem needed to do, but, after seeing that look from Kiru, she decided it would be best to leave it as a private matter. It obviously was something important.

"I have a question."

Everyone turned to Riku in surprise, Kairi most of all amazed that the young man had just called that much attention to himself. He had seemed all too eager to remain in the background at the earlier meetings. Although he had been somewhat of a show-off when they were younger, he now seemed to be very shy, and, after all that had happened, Kairi could certainly understand why. After all, a person who avidly hated himself wouldn't think he had anything worth showing off.

"Yes?" Ansem inquired.

Riku looked at the people sitting around him before answering, giving very pointed looks to Ansem, Kiru, and Kairi. "What is it you're hiding from me?"

This demand caught them all by surprise, and the three that he had addressed looked away sadly. It seemed that anger certainly got Riku past his newfound shyness.

"Hiding from you?" Goofy burst out, obviously missing the fact that Riku hadn't been addressing him. "Riku, you've been here for all the plans-"

"That's not what he means, Goofy," Kiru interrupted, his tone strangely flat.

Goofy trailed off and looked at Kiru in confusion.

Kiru took a deep breath. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, frowning. "Not here."

All eyes were on Kiru now, except Mickey's. He seemed to be trying very hard to concentrate on his food and be oblivious to all that was going on around him. Kiru himself was looking over at Mickey a little sadly. Kairi knew he was probably wondering if Mickey had been told about Kiru's dream. It was obvious that Kiru didn't like his dream being shared, so why would Ansem have...

Kairi turned her mind from that train of thought. She had to try to trust Ansem. It was what Kiru wanted. And of course Ansem had needed to share Kiru's dream with someone. That dream was the sort of thing that no one could bear alone.

Riku considered Kiru's words for a moment. "Then when?" he finally asked.

Kiru looked over at Ansem, who nodded. "Right after the feast."

Riku nodded as well. It seemed that he could stand to wait a bit longer, at least.

Most everyone went back to eating after that, although Kairi found that she could only stare at her food. And, looking over at Kiru, she couldn't help but notice that he wasn't eating either.

* * *

The fingers withdrew. Iraki gasped again, shuddering, as the cold within her was abruptly gone.

"Why didn't you remove her heart!?" Aros demanded, although excitement was apparent in his voice. "You couldn't!" he exclaimed gleefully. Then, to another Heartless, he ordered, "You try."

Iraki cried out in agony as cold fingers again reached inside her, searching around but unable to grasp her heart, the Heartless's fingers repeatedly sliding right off of it. The first Heartless had had the same problem.

The fingers soon withdrew, leaving Iraki twitching and gasping on the ground as the cold again disappeared.

"It worked!" Aros proclaimed, laughing, "It really worked! Her heart is sealed! It can't be stolen!"

_My heart...is sealed?_ These words dimly registered in Iraki's mind, but she could not even try to process their meaning. She had gone into some sort of shock, probably from the emotional strain of the battle between light and darkness that had just been waged within her. Her mind was numb, so numb that she wasn't even trying to think. At the moment, she was quite oblivious to the world, eyes watching blankly as events unfolded above her.

"Well, now that I've proven that, I should check another theory. Sora!" Aros yelled, turning toward the battle between the humans and the Heartless that still continued. "Sora, get over here!"

The Heartless didn't come. Aros scowled. Looking down at Iraki, he apparently debated whether or not it was worth the risk of leaving her unattended. He turned to the Heartless around her and opened his mouth to issue an order, but he stopped, noticing that the two Heartless that had tried to steal Iraki's heart were staring at her, shaking. It seemed that they were afraid of a being with a heart that couldn't be taken, making it unlikely that Aros could rely on the Heartless to keep her there.

But Aros suddenly seemed to have another idea about how to make sure Iraki stayed put. Raising the Black Keyblade above his head, he slammed it down, hitting almost directly where he had nailed Iraki in the head before.

Iraki didn't even have a chance to let out a cry. In an instant, her world went completely black.

* * *

Riku, Kiru, and Ansem all hung back in the dining room after dinner was over, waiting for everyone else to leave and the castle's servants to begin clearing the dishes.

"You two might want to move to one of your rooms," Ansem suggested, "I'll meet you in the library, Kiru, when you're done talking. Any of the servants should be able to lead you there if you get lost."

Kiru nodded. Ansem left the dining hall, leaving just Riku, Kiru, and the servants there. "My room?" Kiru offered.

Riku nodded, his eyes darting agitatedly to the servants who were staring curiously at the two faces that, other than the eyes and the blindfold, were completely identical down to their visible tinge of apprehension. Riku started toward the doorway, turning to Kiru to see if he was coming since Riku obviously wasn't going to lead the way to Kiru's room.

Kiru stepped up next to him, and the two set off together, headed in the opposite direction from the library. Kiru couldn't help but glance down the hall behind him, but Ansem was already out of sight.

It was a silent trip. Once inside the room, Kiru gestured toward the seat beside the bed, but they both remained standing.

When Kiru said nothing, Riku finally began, "So, what is it?"

Kiru sighed, wishing he didn't have to tell Riku. Despite his parallel's forwardness, he knew that Riku was nervous. Looking into his face was like looking into a mirror, after all. Kiru didn't want to describe his dream to another person, but enough others knew about it already. It wouldn't be right to keep it from Riku--not after he had specifically asked. Taking a deep breath, Kiru stated flatly, "My new dream is about the Heartless attack. I'm going to be seriously injured. So seriously that...that I probably won't survive."

There. He had said it. He watched Riku's face for his reactions, finding shock, hurt, and anger. "No," was Riku's immediate response.

Kiru said nothing. He had been expecting this. Kairi hadn't been able to accept the dream even though she had seen it. And even Ansem--the person who had always tried to convince Kiru that his dreams were fact, that they could not be changed--even he had wanted to try to change this one. Of course Riku couldn't accept it.

Kiru then wondered if telling Riku had been the best idea. Now what would Riku do? Would he try to change things somehow? How could Kiru help him accept that this had to happen? They may have been parallels, but their personalities were different enough that Kiru couldn't predict Riku's reaction any more beyond anger and defiance.

Riku himself seemed to be unsure how to react. "No..." he repeated, shaking his head. Then he stopped, thinking. "That's why Kairi wanted to leave you behind, isn't it?"

Kiru's eyes widened. That was completely unexpected. "Kairi wanted to leave me behind?"

"Yes. She wanted to leave before you woke. She was trying to change things... What have you changed? You've changed something, haven't you?"

"I can't."

Riku just stared.

But Kiru himself was shocked at Riku's rather calm reaction. Of course, there was obvious anger in his voice, and determination, but he was taking this much better than Kiru had expected him to. Although maybe Kiru should have expected Riku to be somewhat calm. After all, Riku was the one who had closed _himself_ behind Kingdom Hearts. He knew what it was to face a grim reality.

A thought occurred to Kiru then--a way that might make Riku understand, that might convince him not to try to change anything. "You helped Sora close you behind the door, didn't you, Riku?"

Riku looked a little surprised at this question, but something in his eyes told Kiru that he already knew where this was going. "Yes. I did."

"Then I think you can understand. There are other people, other things more important than your own life sometimes."

Riku said nothing. He was waiting for more, Kiru knew. Kiru sighed. "It will be to save you and Kairi, Riku. That's why I'll get injured so badly, and that's why I can't try to change it. Do you...understand?"

Hot anger still burned in Riku's eyes, but there was regret there, too, that was almost as strong. Riku nodded. He opened his mouth, then closed it. The two stood for a moment with their gazes locked, this time Kiru waiting for Riku to continue.

"In Traverse Town, when you were waking from your dream," Riku began. He was keeping his tone flat, but Kiru could see the sadness in his eyes. "You asked me to...to take care of Iraki. I will."

Riku looked away, as if ashamed to have shown this much emotion. Kiru was almost overcome with emotion himself. Tears were in his eyes, but he couldn't cry in front of Riku any more than Riku could cry in front of him. "Riku...thank you," Kiru choked out, struggling to keep the tears from his voice.

"You'd better go see Ansem so we can leave," Riku said simply. Without another word, he turned and left the room.

_He understands._ Kiru couldn't help smiling slightly even as a few tears slid down his cheek. _Riku really understands._

Comforted slightly and feeling less alone, Kiru wiped his eyes and left the room, closing the door behind him. Riku was nowhere in sight, but Kiru knew that the two of them had already said everything they needed to say. He headed off toward the library.

* * *

Aros moved purposefully into the thick of the Heartless. He didn't run. After all, there was no reason for him to do so. He was in no hurry. Not now, not when he knew that nothing could possibly stop him.

He hadn't really thought about the fact that Sora was identical to every other Heartless, but he was sure that Sora would be distinct somehow. After all, he was the "leader" of this attack. Heartless might be watching him for directions. And if Aros yelled his name, he would definitely react to that.

The crowd of Heartless were all pushing desperately against each other, trying to fight through to the people who stood in their midst. There were four of them now, grouped together and acting as a team.

Aros cleared his throat. Various Heartless gave out little yelps, and suddenly a path was clearing in front of him. Aros strode through the ranks of obedient Heartless, not even giving them a second glance. He knew where he would find Sora in all of this: right at the center.

When Aros finally did get far enough in that he could see, Sora's whereabouts were quite obvious. He was the only Heartless that seemed to have some independence to its movements, exactly as Aros had expected. They were all such mindless creatures. Make one a leader, that one will act, and all the others will mimic. But in addition to that, Sora was also the only Heartless that the four humans were working incredibly hard _not_ to injure.

_Iraki must have told them who that Heartless is. Or was, anyway._ Aros smirked. Then, remembering what he was there for, he stepped up as close behind Sora as he could get without becoming a participant in the battle and yelled, "Sora! Come with me. Now!"

The Heartless, who had been clawing at a very flustered Tidus, stopped immediately and slid to the ground, becoming a shadow and gliding across the pavement underneath the other Heartless, coming back up to stand directly in front of Aros, his head cocked questioningly.

"I want you to test something. Follow me." Aros turned to head back over to the unconscious Iraki.

"Hey, where do you think you're going!?"

Aros turned to back to find that he had just made a terrible mistake. The blade of a sword that looked like it was filled with water was pressed up against his neck. "Heartless, you imbeciles!" he burst out, "You-"

He cut off abruptly as the sword was dug slightly into his skin.

"Say a word to them, and I won't hesitate to stop you!" Tidus threatened.

Aros cursed under his breath. Why hadn't he realized this would happen? Sora had been leading the Heartless attack, and, when Aros had ordered Sora to come with him, all the other Heartless had abandoned the attack and moved to follow.

Aros turned his head carefully, trying to survey the scene. All the Heartless, including Sora, stood watching, waiting for some signal. Tidus was next to Aros, Yuna standing just past him. Auron and Rikku were behind the two of them, their backs to Aros, watching the Heartless warily.

"Send the Heartless away," Tidus ordered.

Aros made no response.

"Send the Heartless away! Do you think I'm bluffing?"

Aros couldn't help but smirk at that. If Tidus weren't bluffing, would he really have needed to add that? And what would he gain by killing Aros? He didn't even understand the situation! "Yes, I do think you're bluffing."

Tidus scowled and pressed the sword tighter against Aros's neck, bringing forth a thin line of blood. _He has a soft heart,_ Aros reassured himself, _He won't go any further. It would make HER mad._ Out of the corner of his eye, Aros could just see the frightened look on Yuna's face. He was sure that Tidus was aware of it.

"If he won't do it, then I will."

Aros's eyes widened at that gruff voice. Auron had now turned to face him, holding his heavy sword rather menacingly. Scowling, Aros shouted, "Get out of here, you stupid Heartless!"

All the Heartless, including Sora, tilted their heads at him in a rather confused manner but then obeyed, loping off in their lopsided way.

"Sora, remember your orders from before!" Aros yelled after the retreating Heartless, unable to tell which was which anymore. He hoped Auron wouldn't attack him for that little addition to his orders to flee, but he needed to make sure that he didn't lose track of Sora. _Sora **should** know to meet me at the fountain, but there's no telling if his little mind remembers or not._

But Auron didn't move, and Tidus seemed more startled by Aros's extra orders to Sora than angry at them. "Call Sora back! I didn't tell you to send him away."

"You said, 'send away the Heartless,' didn't you? That's all Sora is, now," Aros sneered.

"Call him back!" Tidus ordered, his anger at Aros's comment apparent in his voice.

"Sora, get back here!" Aros called. Then, remembering what had happened before, he almost grinned. What an inconvenience when all the Heartless came back instead of leaving and...

Wait. Maybe it would be better if the others did leave. "The rest of you, get back to our primary objective! I don't need you right now."

Aros wanted to say it some other way, some way where he would be sure the Heartless knew what he meant, but they had such tiny brains, and Aros knew that Auron was intelligent. Hopefully the single-mindedness of the Heartless would come in handy, this time. Maybe they would remember what "primary objective" was supposed to refer to.

The Heartless all stopped to listen to Aros's orders and then scampered off. The idiots all took the same exit--the doors that led into the main area of the Second District--but none of Aros's captors said anything about it, although Aros could have sworn that Auron's eyes narrowed slightly. _Good. So he knows I'm up to something but has no idea what. And the Heartless seem to have understood...I hope._

One Heartless broke off from the group, loping uncertainly back toward Aros. Aros wondered whether Sora was afraid of the enemies or afraid of him. The thought made him smirk slightly.

But everyone's attention was pulled to Yuna as she suddenly gasped loudly. "Iraki!" she cried.

With the Heartless out of the way, everyone had a clear view of the girl lying unconscious on the pavement just outside of the Secret Waterway. Yuna ran to her and knelt beside her, using her staff to cast what were obviously healing spells.

"Is she going to be all right?" Auron asked, his manner as all-business as always.

"I think so. It looks like just a bump on the head."

"Just a bump on the head!?" Aros couldn't help bursting out laughing. "Did you see nothing of what I did to her?"

"What did you do?" Tidus demanded, his voice suddenly lower than normal, threatening. His sword was pressed painfully against Aros's neck.

Aros ignored the sword and grinned at Tidus. "Nothing that will have any physical effect, although hopefully the mental trauma will last for a while."

"What did you do?" Tidus repeated, his voice even more strangely menacing than before.

Aros shrugged, trying carefully not to bump the sword with his shoulders. "I protected her from the Heartless. And I will do the same to myself, after I'm done with all of you."

"Hey! You're in no position to say things like that!" Rikku cried.

The sky suddenly changed from a sunny afternoon blue to pitch black. Aros rejoiced inside. The Heartless_ had_ known what to do! _They could feel that the heart of this world was exposed. Of course they knew. Probably even Heartless I didn't send went to the door anyway._ He smirked at Rikku. "Are you sure about that?"

It began to sprinkle slightly, then drizzle, then rain, and in much less than a minute there was a downpour. Lightning arched across the sky, thunder booming right on top of it. Rikku screamed and squatted down low, closing her eyes and covering her ears.

And then events happened so fast that they were practically on top of each other.

"Take the Silver Keyblade!" Auron yelled over the noise of the storm.

Aros immediately dismissed the Keyblade within him. They wouldn't have it that easily.

Tidus yelled something indistinguishable and dug his sword in hard enough to draw more blood. Auron let out a cry and charged, sword held diagonally to the side, ready to strike. "The Silver Keyblade or your life!"

Aros took an involuntary step back. He could feel himself trembling. _It's because of the cold. Because of the rain._

"NOW!" Auron bellowed. He had slowed his charge, but was still advancing, having almost reached Aros.

Aros reluctantly called the Silver Keyblade. Tidus's hand shot out to grab it.

Earthquake. Everything suddenly faded to darkness. And Crossroads City was destroyed.


	28. Dreams Come True

_The song has been removed from this chapter, per FFN's policy. The original version is still available through e-mail request. (It's much better with the song!)_

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 28: Dreams Come True**

Ansem closed his eyes and concentrated while Kiru watched anxiously. _This is it. My last chance. If she's still awake now, then...I won't get to talk to her._

Ansem opened his eyes again, a rather solemn smile touching his features. "She's unconscious."

While the implications of Iraki's being unconscious in the middle of the afternoon were rather dreary, Kiru couldn't help but be a bit glad. He would get to see her one more time.

"Are you ready?"

Kiru nodded, taking a deep breath and smiling slightly.

"Kiru..."

Ansem's nervous tone brought Kiru's gaze up to him. "Yes?"

"I just want you to know, while I will be maintaining the dream, I won't...I won't be watching it at all. Or listening to it."

Kiru smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

Ansem nodded. "Ready then?"

"Yes."

"And the setting?"

Kiru didn't even have to think about it. "My island. By the paopu tree."

"All right. Close your eyes."

* * *

At the sound of waves, Kiru opened his eyes again. He found himself sitting perched on the paopu tree, staring out at the calm blue sea. Iraki wasn't there. For a second Kiru almost panicked, but he reminded himself that it was always like this. Ansem would use Kiru's abilities to place him in a dream and create the setting, and only then would Ansem send the dream out to the other person.

Sure enough, Iraki appeared, perched on the branch beside him. For the first instant, there was something unreadable in her features, but her expression quickly changed to disbelieving delight. "Kiru?"

He immediately took her hands in his, tears springing to his eyes. "Iraki. Iraki, it's you..."

"Kiru!" Tears came to her eyes as well, and she squeezed his hands as if trying to determine if they were real. "Kiru, how...how did we get here? Fate Isles was destroyed."

"What?" Admittedly, Kiru had been expecting that to happen, but the sudden news that his home was gone was still upsetting. _Not now. I can't worry about that now._ He looked into Iraki's eyes, and, as always, he could feel his worries washing away. They still hovered in his mind, but, at this moment, they were not what was important. Kiru shook his head, trying to keep Iraki from saying more. He decided to answer her question to avoid pursuing the subject. "Never mind that now. This is a dream, Iraki. Ansem helped me to send it to you."

"A dream? But...this is the real you, right? We're sharing a dream. We're...really together, right?"

Kiru squeezed Iraki's hands. "Yes. We're both sharing a dream."

Iraki didn't ask why they were doing this now, although Kiru could see the question in her eyes. He had questions, too--why was she unconscious at this time of day?--but he didn't ask anything, either. For a moment they just sat, eyes locked on each other. No words passed between them, but many things were said.

"I missed you, Kiru," Iraki whispered, breaking the silence.

"I missed you, too."

Iraki turned to look out at the sea. She smiled, her eyes growing dreamy. "We used to be like this all the time."

Kiru looked out at the sea as well. A gust of wind blew across his island, and Iraki took one hand from his to brush her long hair from her face. He ignored his hair, allowing it to blow freely about him. To be here now was all that he wanted, all that he dreamed of. Kiru couldn't worry about anything else.

Iraki sighed contentedly. A few more moments passed as they just sat, and then she broke the silence again. "Kiru?"

"Yes?" Kiru turned his gaze to her and found her gazing back at him. He smiled brightly. It was so wonderful to see her green eyes. As much as Kairi looked like her, no one else had her eyes.

"How long can we stay like this?"

Kiru's face abruptly fell. "Not long," he admitted regretfully, his worries beginning to resurface in his mind.

"Oh." Iraki turned back to the sea, her expression also worried now. "Kiru, I..."

Kiru kept his gaze fixed on her, startled as tears suddenly began to spill down her cheeks. "Iraki-"

Iraki turned back to him, her eyes overflowing. In that instant, her whole aspect had changed, her every feature now exuding pain and sorrow. "I'm a failure, Kiru!" she burst out. "I just...I just want to tell you I'm sorry while I have the chance. I couldn't do what you told me to. I couldn't do _anything_. I'm so sorry." Iraki bowed her head, sobbing softly.

"Iraki..." Kiru put his free hand on her shoulder, squeezing her other hand with his. He honestly didn't know how to react. He could feel the tears coming back to his own eyes as he stared down at that precious girl crying beside him. He hadn't realized that she was so hurt; she had hidden her pain effectively right up to that moment. Now all he could do was wonder what had she been through without him. She was obviously aching deeply inside, full of wounds that couldn't be physically healed. She had needed him, and he hadn't been there... "Iraki, don't be sorry. You haven't failed at anything. Nothing has been lost."

Iraki brought her eyes nervously back up to his, a sort of desperation clearly visible in their depths. "Do you mean it? I...I lost track of Sora."

Kiru couldn't help being surprised at this, but he pushed his shock out of his mind. He knew that he now had to do for Iraki what he had tried to do for Kairi. He had to comfort her, give her hope. He needed to make sure that she would be strong. Not just because it was what his mission required, but because he himself desperately needed to know that she would be all right. If she was already so hurt, would the blow of losing him be too much for her to withstand? _I have to help her. I have to make her feel better. I only wish...I knew how._

Kiru stared at Iraki for a moment, trying desperately to think of something he could say. She was upset over her failure, and she was looking to him for reassurance. And, thankfully, he finally realized that there was an easy way for him to calm at least some of her fears. "It doesn't matter," he stated firmly, looking squarely into Iraki's eyes, "You were only following Sora so that we could find him. If a parallel crosses the mirror and both parallels are on the same side, then the parallels will see each other. So you and Kairi will see each other when she crosses. The plan was to find Sora that way. But we know another way to find Sora now." Softly, he added, "Please don't worry, Iraki."

Iraki's eyes widened. Suddenly she dove forward, burying her face in his chest and sobbing.

Kiru was so surprised that for a second he didn't react. Then he wrapped one arm around her, holding her close, and again squeezed her hand in his. "It's okay, Iraki. You're doing just fine. Everything will work out in the end. Just be strong, okay? For me."

Iraki cried for a moment more before she abruptly sat back up, pulling herself completely out of his grasp--even taking her hand from his. The deep pain that he had just seen in her face was again covered up by a mask.

"I'm sorry, Kiru. I shouldn't have..." Iraki stopped, and conflicting emotions resurfaced in her features. But her expression wasn't the same as before. It was nervous now and slightly...hopeful. "Aros isn't the same anymore," she said finally, her voice thoughtful, considering, but still a bit sad. "The three of us will never be a group again."

Now they were both staring at each other, the conflict of a moment ago all but forgotten as their minds raced with the implications of that statement. The restrictions that they had placed on themselves for Aros's sake were deeply ingrained in their minds, but were they really necessary anymore? Neither of them had wanted to admit that they could no longer continue with their charade, hiding their feelings from Aros to keep him happy, but they knew that it was true all the same.

And, depending on what happened, on what Aros was like in the end, maybe there wouldn't even be a reason for them to hide their feelings from him. But neither of them wanted to consider some of the possibilities that could bring that about. Instead, they focused simply on the fact that Aros had to _know_ by now, that there was really no reason for them to hide their feelings anymore. And what that meant was...

Iraki's gaze shifted from Kiru to the paopu fruit behind him, ripe and hanging ready to be plucked from the tree. "Kiru, will we see each other again soon?"

Never in his life was Kiru so glad that Iraki wasn't looking at him as he was at that instant. "No," he replied softly, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

Iraki's eyes widened slightly, the sadness in them intensifying. The pain began to return to her features, but only slightly and only for an instant before she replaced it with that strange hope. "Then, would you want to..."

She trailed off. Kiru turned to the fruit as well, and both sat silently, considering. Then Kiru pulled his legs up onto the trunk of the paopu tree, stood, and stepped carefully along it. When he was as far as he could easily walk, he reached out, gently pulling down one of the beautiful, star-shaped fruits. He turned to find Iraki standing next to the tree, her green eyes filled with nervousness and sorrow but also excitement.

Kiru stepped down beside her and tugged at the fruit, carefully separating it into two pieces. It was soft, pliable, and tore almost exactly in half, as if it were meant to do this. Kiru held out one half to Iraki, and she took it in her hand.

"Iraki," Kiru began. Their gazes met again. Kiru took her free hand in his. They each held their half of the paopu fruit, but one thing had to be said before either could take a bite. "I-"

But Iraki disappeared, her half of the fruit falling to the ground and rolling a few feet away. Then Kiru was abruptly jerked back to reality, finding a desperate-looking Ansem standing in front of him.

_love you..._

The words died on Kiru's tongue. He had been too late. His only chance, his last chance, and he had missed it. His half of the paopu fruit was gone as well--lost in that dream of Fate Isles that had so suddenly come to an end.

"Kiru, the Heartless are here!" Ansem cried.

"What?" For an instant Kiru's mind was still focused on Iraki, unable to comprehend what Ansem was saying. He forced himself to pull his mind fully from the dream, to go back to reality completely. He took a deep breath, trying to hold his tears in his eyes. He could not spend this battle regretting what had just happened. He had to accept that his moment with Iraki had passed and comfort himself with the knowledge that, no matter what he hadn't said, she still knew.

After all, this was the final battle for him. He couldn't fail, no matter what.

At that thought, all the things Kiru hadn't said or done in his life that he had always wanted to began to flash through his mind. He pushed the images angrily away. There could be no regrets.

It was time for Kiru to accept his fate.

Ansem stumbled suddenly, jerking Kiru from his mental reverie, and Kiru ran over to him, grabbing his shoulder and side and holding him steady. "Ansem, what's wrong?" he cried.

But Ansem's gaze was looking far away, staring in terror at something that Kiru could not see. "They're launching a massive attack on Empty Citadel as well. I...I have to go. Now. I'm sorry, Kiru." Ansem's sad and worried gaze locked onto his one last time, and then Ansem disappeared

Kiru was a bit stunned when he suddenly wasn't touching anything even though a second ago he had been steadying Ansem. He shook off his shock and dashed from the library. It would do no good to worry about Ansem and Empty Citadel now, not when the King's Castle was under attack.

Iraki, Ansem...he had to force them both from his mind. It was painful to even try.

Servants were running through the halls, bundles of food and clothing in many of their hands. Kiru knew that they were headed for a passageway that led below the castle to a vast maze of unused corridors and rooms. That one passage was the only entrance and exit for the castle's basement. When the queen and all those in the meeting room had decided on it as the place for servants and refugees to gather, they had known that they could only pray it would remain a safe haven and not become a death trap. Its very merits were its flaws, but it was still the best place for refugees to go.

But Kiru couldn't worry about the servants and refugees now. He grabbed one of the servants--a young boy, maybe ten or so--by the arm. "Where are the Keyblade Masters? The queen?" he demanded.

"The queen's goin' to the army camp to lead the army, and the Keyblade Masters are leaving. They're...they're going toward the Heartless!" the boy cried, his voice filled with fear, disbelief, and a sort of awed respect. "Good luck, Mister Keyblade Master!" he added, then pulled away from Kiru and resumed his mad dash for safety.

Kiru, although a bit surprised that the boy had known who he was, resumed his own dash as well. He knew what he needed to now, so he fought determinedly against the tide of servants, trying to find an exit. He wished that he had been more aware when Riku had brought him from the mirror to the castle before, but he knew that, as long as he went in the opposite direction from everything he encountered, he was almost certainly going the right way.

Kiru fought his way through the twisting hallways of the castle as quickly as he could given the tide of servants going the other direction. Finally he reached the front gates. They were wide open as nearby residents poured into the castle for safety. Kiru forced his way through the refugees to the outside.

Once there he could see the battle in the distance that was already underway. The army of the King's Castle was struggling valiantly against a sea of shadows. The odds were stacked rather obviously against the army.

Closer than the battle, however, and more important by Kiru's standards, he could see all the people who were running to the castle for safety and, amidst them, a lone pair running toward the fight, weapons in their hands.

Kiru ran as hard as he possibly could, dodging through the crowd, jarring more people than he would have liked to. But he had to reach Riku and Kairi. He had to be there when they engaged the Heartless.

But Kiru didn't have anything to worry about. Riku was still somewhat exhausted from his magic training, and Kairi, although she was moderately fast over short distances, found that her energy faded quickly when she tried to travel a long distance. They were just escaping from the tide of refugees when Kiru caught up with them. "Why did you...go without me?" Kiru forced out between breaths. It was only when he had said it that he realized how upset he was at being left behind. After all, he had thought that Riku understood...

"We knew you were coming. We were going to help some of the people if we could, but so far the soldiers have kept the Heartless away." Riku didn't let any emotion slip into his voice, but Kiru knew what he truly meant just the same. They hadn't been trying to leave him behind after all. That was comforting to know.

"Kiru, do you have a weapon?" Kairi asked.

Kiru willed his sword to gain substance, and it appeared in his hand to the obvious surprise of Riku and Kairi. "Ansem gave it to me," he offered by way of explanation.

All three knew that there wasn't time for Kiru to explain any further. "Are we ready?" Riku questioned.

"What exactly are we planning to do?" Kiru asked.

"Let's just stay close," Kairi suggested, "The only way we'll get anywhere through those Heartless is fighting together."

All three of them could easily see Kairi's ulterior motive for keeping them close together, but Riku and Kiru simply nodded. It was a good strategy, after all.

"Just make for the mirror," Riku instructed.

At the thought of the mirror, it occurred to Kiru that he had some news that he should share. "Iraki's lost track of Sora."

Riku and Kairi both looked at him curiously, slightly alarmed at the news as well, but again there was no time to explain.

"We'll all just have to think of Sora when we cross. Kairi will see Iraki, and we can find her after saving Sora." Kiru's voice had wavered a bit on the word "we." After all, he was sure he wasn't going to be crossing the mirror with the others. But Riku and Kairi were in too much of a hurry even to comfort Kiru, although Kiru could see the sadness in both their eyes, no matter how much Riku tried to hide the emotion.

"Agreed," Riku declared, "Let's go."

And with that they took off for the battle, Riku leading the way. The sea of Heartless was so thick that they could barely see the mouth of the cave over the black heads. Kiru was thankful that the castle's soldiers were under orders to assist the Keyblade Masters as much as possible. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't have stood a chance of reaching the mirror.

They broke into the sea of Heartless, slashing their weapons desperately at the reaching claws. Only the Golden Keyblade had any real effect on the Heartless, but, although it was harder for Kiru and Kairi to destroy the Heartless, they didn't let that discourage them. Claws raked all across their three bodies, but they ignored them and just continued fighting as hard as they could. They kept pressed against each other, which also worked to shield them against the Heartless, although they weren't able to move very fast. Whenever they met with the castle's soldiers, the soldiers also worked hard to clear a path for the Keyblade Masters. It was strange to watch those soldiers fighting so desperately just to clear a few feet for the advancement of three people that they didn't even know.

But the arrangement couldn't last for long. It was Kairi who abruptly disappeared from their trio, thrown off balance by the slashes of too many Heartless and suddenly separated from the other two by a moving black wall.

"Kairi!" Riku tried to plunge through the Heartless toward her, but she was already out of sight. Kiru moved beside him, both of them trying to slash their way through in the direction that she had disappeared.

Riku let out a cry of frustration, and suddenly there was a huge flash of golden light. They both had to close their eyes against it, and, when it cleared, they found that it had made a huge hole in the sea of Heartless. Riku was staring down at the Golden Keyblade in shock, and Kiru almost smiled. Riku was also the Golden Keyblade Master, after all. It should be no surprise that he had just used it.

The first thing that caught the eyes of the two parallels was a group of Heartless running in the reverse direction from all the other Heartless. Probably these Heartless were either frightened by the burst of power or, for some unknown reason, had been headed in that direction all along, but what really mattered was that the only thing those Heartless could possibly be running to was the mirror.

Riku and Kiru, however, weren't interested in the mirror at the moment. After noticing the group of Heartless, they turned their gazes away, both trying to see Kairi while their view actually had some range. Despite the huge hole that Riku had created in the sea of Heartless, Kairi was still not visible. She had to be trapped somewhere within that distant wall of black. A flash of brown hair ahead sent both of them running. But she was so far away...

And that glimpse of brown hair was quickly swallowed by the rush of Heartless that came flying in to replace those Heartless that had been destroyed. Riku and Kiru both cried out in frustration, fighting hard to move forward in what they thought was the direction that they had seen Kairi. They both squinted desperately into the black, trying to find Kairi again. They thought that they could hear her yelling in the distance. This vague impression of a female voice caused them to intensify their efforts even further. The two parallels were all but identical at this moment in their reactions to a friend--and not just any friend, but this one--who was in danger.

Both were concentrating so hard on catching a glimpse of Kairi among the black that the Heartless, knocking the two about as they slashed distractedly in their hurry, were able to separate Riku and Kiru from each other as well.

And before Kiru knew what was happening, there was a wall of shadows around him so thick that he couldn't even move forward anymore. His sword was not very effective against the Heartless, certainly nowhere near the ability of the Golden Keyblade, and, having lost Riku, he was trapped.

Kiru could hear the voices of the others around him clearly now, however. They were definitely near, but he couldn't see even a glimpse of them through the wall pressing in around him.

And then there was a flash of brown hair not far at all from Kiru's face. Kairi was yelling. She had seen him, and she was calling his name. She was obviously worried about him. The Heartless were, after all, practically smothering him. But Kiru was valiantly ignoring them as he tried to gain enough leeway to at least get through to her. A flashing white weapon was now visible in addition to the glimpses of Kairi's hair. She still had the White Keyblade. And Riku's not-too-distant yells were still audible as well.

But Kiru knew that all of this was far too familiar.

Just as he was expecting, Kairi let out a sudden cry of pain. He could see the White Keyblade go flying through the darkness, and Kairi's brown hair disappeared from view.

"No!"

He gave the cry without thinking but realized dimly that he had heard himself say these exact words before. But that didn't matter. Nothing mattered, except that the Heartless were all over an unarmed Kairi.

Kiru would _not_ let them have her.

He hacked away at the Heartless even more desperately than before, trying to fight through to where Kairi had disappeared. It became even more painfully obvious that the sword was all but useless against the shadows.

And, even worse, he could hear Riku's voice yelling for Kairi as well, but it had a muffled quality to it. The Heartless must have been swarming over him, too. Riku had already used the Golden Keyblade. He couldn't possibly have the energy left to use it again--not after all that magic training. Kairi had no weapon. All three of them were separated and being swarmed by the Heartless.

There was nothing left to do. Nothing but the one thing that he knew he couldn't--nothing but the one thing that he had seen himself do in a dream. It was his only choice.

Kiru looked down at his sword. The sword that enhanced magical ability... "I'll save you," he promised.

He put both his hands together on the hilt, ignoring the claws that were all over him. He was swept off his feet by the Heartless, but it no longer mattered. Not as long as he kept that sword in his hands.

The dream had shown Kiru that the spell would backfire on him. And with the sword enhancing Kiru's already amazing magical ability, the force of the spell would be deadly.

And what did this mean to Kiru?

It meant that he had to use the most devastating spell he knew--the only spell that might take enough Heartless down with him to save Riku and Kairi...

"GRAVIGA!!"

Kiru immediately felt the force of the blow plowing through his entire body. It was a crushing sensation unlike anything that he had ever felt before. The pain was intense. He felt as if he were being smashed to a miniscule size. His ribs had been forced into his lungs, and there was no air for him to breathe.

His bones were snapping. He couldn't even tell which ones were breaking. It was all instantaneous, and all Kiru knew was the jolts of pain running through his every limb, dimming his mind.

His vision went hazy. All color faded to black. He could see nothing but darkness, feel nothing but agony, hear nothing but the roar that filled his ears.

So this was what dying felt like.

The pain in his body began to fade to numbness just as his vision had gone to darkness. Kiru could move no part of his body. He didn't even know if he still had a body. There was no feeling, no sensation. Even the roar in his ears had blinked to silence.

And finally Kiru's thoughts faded out as, at last, he lost consciousness. One last thought passed through his mind before the end. _Good-bye...everyone._

And, after that, Kiru was left swimming on a sea of nothingness.

Whatever the true answer to the question of inevitability, there was one thing that was certain. In the end, Kiru's dream had come true.


	29. Visions

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 29: Visions  
**

"KIRU!!" Kairi screamed. Riku just let out a roar of rage. The Heartless around them had all been destroyed by the spell. They themselves had felt a crushing sensation, but they had been far enough away and the spell had been focused enough on the Heartless that the only injuries they could foresee were some bruises.

But Kiru, on the other hand, was a twisted heap on the ground, lying just at the mouth of a cave of black stone. His spell had backfired against him.

"No!" Kairi screamed. She rushed forward toward him, but Riku ran to her and grabbed her arm, stopping her. "What are you doing?" Kairi demanded.

"The Heartless!" Riku cried.

Through the tears clouding her vision, Kairi looked to see that more Heartless were moving in to replace the ones that Kiru had destroyed, most converging again on Riku and Kairi. But one dense group of Heartless was moving away from them and toward the cave. They ignored Kiru entirely, and, as Riku and Kairi watched in horror, his body was swept up on the tide of them and carried off into the cave and out of sight.

"NOOO!!" Kairi screamed again.

"It's too late, Kairi. If his heart was still beating, the Heartless wouldn't have ignored him."

Kairi shook her head vigorously at those words, tearing herself from Riku's grasp and running desperately for the cave, grabbing the White Keyblade from the ground as she rushed by. A few Heartless were close enough to attack her as she ran, but Kairi paid them no heed, giving savage slashes to each side, striking them harder and more exactly than she ever had before.

Riku chased after her, at first planning to stop her, although the thought of giving up on Kiru completely hurt him as much as it did her. Then he realized what that cave was. It was the very cave that they had been trying to reach. All this struggle and they had been mere feet from the mirror.

Riku had caught up with Kairi by the time she entered the cave. Inside, it was swarming with Heartless that were pouring out of the mirror, although a small segment could be seen going into the mirror instead. Kiru was nowhere to be found.

Kairi tried to continue her run right through the Heartless and into the mirror, but Riku grabbed her arm again. "Kairi, don't let his sacrifice be in vain! Think of Sora, not Kiru. We can still save Sora."

His words sounded cold even to his own ears, but Riku just stared at Kairi with as much intensity as he could. He wanted to be gentle with her, to comfort her, but he couldn't. Even if they could follow Kiru through the mirror, they would be walking directly into a swarm of Heartless--putting themselves right back in the same situation that Kiru had given everything to save them from before. And they would be deserting Sora completely, almost definitely traveling to entirely the wrong world. If Riku faltered now and let emotions control their decisions, then Sora would be lost and what Kiru had done would be for nothing. And he knew he couldn't live with himself if he allowed either of those things to happen.

_"There are other people, other things more important than your own life sometimes."_

_You thought I deserved to be one of those people, Kiru? Then...I can't prove you wrong. I have to be worth it. And Sora...after everything, I could never desert him._

Kairi pulled away from Riku again, tears pouring down her cheeks. She shook her head desperately and began to turn and run toward the mirror. Riku was about to grab her arm and try reasoning with her one more time, but she suddenly stopped short. "Sora..." she mumbled, "But..."

Riku sighed inwardly. Good. It was working. With Kairi, Sora was always the key. "Please Kairi, just think of Sora."

And Kairi, although her eyes were all shock and confusion, nodded slightly. Riku took her by the hand this time and led the way into the sea of Heartless. He had her right arm, so she couldn't fight, but it didn't matter. Riku still had a tiny bit of strength left. It would have to be enough.

The flash of golden light was very weak, but it cleared away the Heartless that were right around Riku and Kairi. After some vicious slashing from Riku, the two were able to reach the small pond. Riku dove in, pulling the still-stunned Kairi with him. At the last second he turned his mind to his old friend. _Sora...I'm sorry. We will save you. This chance cost too much for us to fail._

Riku felt something grab him when he entered the water, and Kairi's hand slipped from his. For a moment he was disoriented, unsure of where the surface was, but his head quickly broke free of the shallow water. He pulled himself up to the smooth black stone of this identical cave.

_Flash._ Riku almost tumbled right back into the water as a sudden shudder ran through his body and a bright light filled his vision. His mind was screaming to him that something was wrong. The sensation of wrongness was the same as it had been before, the same as the last time he and Kiru had wound up on the same side of the mirror. The bright light faded, and a blurry, indistinct scene met Riku's eyes.

_Riku saw the twisted form of an identical figure barely visible through the covering of shadows that were passing over him and carrying him with them but completely oblivious to his presence. No sign of life was visible in him, although his face was mostly obscured. His limbs were splayed out in all directions, bent in ways that they were not meant to be. Blood could be seen running down them, sliding onto the black of the shadows and running off to the ground._

This time their eyes did not meet. Riku wasn't even able to catch a glimpse of Kiru's eyes before the vision disappeared and he was back in the cave. He could only stare at his surroundings for a moment, trying to shake that horrifying image from his mind. For Kiru to be dead was a terrible tragedy. For his gruesomely crushed body to be in the possession of a sea of mindless shadows was even worse.

"Kairi!" Riku finally snapped his mind back to reality, realizing that he hadn't yet seen if Kairi had made it through the mirror. He scrambled to his feet, turning, and to his relief found her behind him, halfway out of the pond, her gaze seemingly staring at nothing. _She must be seeing Iraki._ He stepped up in front of her, ready to help her up and comfort her when the vision was over. He knew that she would need him now, although, if Sora had been there, or maybe even Kiru, he would probably have been ignored.

* * *

_Kairi was staring out at a landscape of rolling hills with a path winding through them. Sitting on the path was a girl identical to Kairi, except for the green eyes that stared blankly at nothing, a stream of tears flowing from them._

_As Kairi watched, the girl suddenly seemed to snap to reality. She looked up, her tears still sliding down her cheeks, and, for an instant, their gazes locked. The girl's eyes widened. "Kairi?" she whispered._

Then the vision was gone, and Kairi found herself staring out at Riku's legs. She turned her gaze up to his face, and he held a hand out to help her up. Kairi took it, and he pulled her to her feet. "Where is she?" he asked immediately.

"How can you ask that at a time like this!?" Kairi demanded, "After...after..." New tears slid down her cheeks, and she let out a sob. _Kiru..._ Suddenly, a realization hit her. _If I saw Iraki when we crossed the mirror, then Riku..._ A tiny flower of hope blossomed within Kairi. "Riku, did you see...? Was he...?"

But her excitement was short-lived. "He was the same as what we saw before, Kairi. He was being carried by the Heartless, and they didn't even seem to realize he was there."

"No..." With that, Kairi's last hope died. She looked down at the ground, a fresh stream of tears sliding silently down her cheeks. She just wanted to disappear. How could she continue after that nightmarish sight?

"Kairi."

Riku's voice was stern. She didn't think he had ever addressed her that way before. Kairi met his gaze nervously. Even with his eyes partially obscured by his blindfold, she could see the intensity within them.

"You haven't forgotten why Kiru did that, have you? Or have you forgotten about Sora? Does he not matter to you anymore?"

Riku's accusations were the harshest words Kairi had ever heard from him. They cut right to her heart, causing her to involuntarily bring a hand up to her chest. The words hurt, but they were just what she needed.

_"Please don't cry, Kairi. I need you to be strong. You still have to save Sora, remember?"_

_Kiru...you gave everything so I could have this chance._

_"Remember what you said before? I'm always with you, too. I'll come back to you. I promise."_

_Sora..._

And with these memories, Kairi's resolve hardened. She took a deep breath and, although she couldn't get past her emotions completely, declared in a voice that shook slightly with her tears, "No...no, I won't give up on Sora. We're going to save him! Kiru...Kiru did that for us. We can't stop now."

Riku smiled solemnly, and Kairi abruptly threw herself into his arms. She had made her decision, but she needed comfort and support or she would never be able to carry it out. It could very well be the hardest thing she had ever done. Riku was obviously surprised by the gesture, but he hugged her warmly all the same.

After staying like that for a moment, Kairi finally pulled away. "Iraki is on the path leading to the King's Castle," she stated, trying to keep her voice from shaking, "Or, whatever the King's Castle is on this side of the mirror. I don't remember what King Mickey called it. But..." She blinked, really looking at the cave and the world outside it for the first time. "Isn't _this_ world the King's Castle?"

Riku looked around, too. "You're right, Kairi. Iraki and Sora are both on the same world after all."

Kairi wiped her tears from her face and took a deep breath. "Let's go find them."

Riku nodded, and together the two stepped out of the cave and into the bright sunlight of a glorious afternoon.

Kairi couldn't help but wish that it was raining. That way she wouldn't have had to work so hard to hold back her tears.

* * *

Iraki's sudden awakening was one of the worst shocks of her life. What had happened to her dream? Where was Kiru? They had been about to share a paopu fruit. He had been about to say...

Had he really been starting to say those three words that she had longed to hear for years now?

But he hadn't said them, and their paopu fruit had gone uneaten.

_Why? Why did it end so suddenly like that? Something must have happened. Oh, Kiru..._

Iraki squeezed her eyes tightly shut, hoping that, if she just kept them closed, if she didn't face reality, then maybe...maybe the dream would return and Kiru would be back.

But she knew that wasn't going to happen. A dream that ended like that ended for a reason. Kiru obviously couldn't talk to her now.

Iraki opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the bright sunlight and trying to remember where she was and why she had been unconscious in the first place.

It came back to her in a rush. Iraki gasped, putting a hand to her chest. She still had her heart. But why?

_"It worked! It really worked! Her heart is sealed! It can't be stolen!"_

_That's right. Aros sealed my heart. He said he was testing the Black Keyblade so that he could seal his own, but..._

Iraki remembered the look on Aros's face right after he had stabbed her--the fear and regret visible in his features. She remembered his insane debate with himself. And she knew that he hadn't really sealed her heart to test the Keyblade. He had done it because he _couldn't_ steal her heart. He had done it because, somewhere deep down inside, he still loved her.

Fresh tears poured down Iraki's cheeks. They slowed slightly as she turned her head and realized that she was surrounded by grass. This wasn't Crossroads City.

_Was __Crossroads__City__...destroyed? Did I even fail to protect that world?_

Iraki tried to remember, and all that came back to her was the memory of Aros hitting her over the head with the Black Keyblade. She gingerly put a hand to her temple. Only a low bump remained of her injury. Someone must have healed her.

_And Aros must have made it to the Keyhole. Yuna...Tidus...Rikku...Auron... You guys all helped me so much. I wonder, when __Crossroads__City__ was destroyed, what happened to you?_

Iraki sat up and took a good look at her surroundings, her eyes finally adjusted to the sun. She was sitting in the middle of a path, rolling green hills all around her and a cloudless, sunny blue sky above. This world was so perfect-looking that it hurt. And she was definitely alone.

_I've...I've lost **everything**. I don't even know what world Sora's on, or Aros and the Silver Keyblade. I've lost my only friends on this journey. I've lost __Crossroads__City__. It's gone because I couldn't protect it, couldn't keep Aros away from the Secret Waterway, couldn't even hold onto the Silver Keyblade after Sora was...betrayed. And now Aros and the Heartless are free to destroy whatever other world because Sora can't seal any of them, and I'm the only other Keyblade Master on this side of the mirror, and I don't even have a weapon! I'm worthless, completely worthless!_

Iraki buried her face in her hands, rocking back and forth as sobs racked her body. _I lost everything...everything. And even Kiru...even Kiru has left me. I'm all alone...all alone..._

Iraki felt a chill pass through her heart, and she shivered and brought her head up, looking around as tears continued to flow down her cheeks.

But there was no one there. The chill remained deep inside. It reminded her of...

_Did the Black Keyblade begin to unlock my heart before it sealed it? But when it was sealed, it should have taken care of that. Unless...some small part of my heart wasn't sealed at all?_

Iraki put a hand to her chest. The chill did not fade. It was so slight that she was sure a happy thought would chase it away, but she didn't think that there was anything happy about her current situation.

The other possible reason for the chill in Iraki's heart, however, never occurred to her. She didn't even think that maybe a person could lose their heart to darkness without it being stolen. She didn't realize that, in her despair, she might just be opening her heart to darkness herself.

No, Iraki thought nothing of any of this and simply added the chill in her heart to her growing list of woes and failures. Aros should never have had the opportunity to stab her, but she had provoked him, given him a wide opening, and had to suffer the consequences.

_What can I possibly do now? There's no way for me to find Sora or Aros and the Silver Keyblade. I can't fight the Heartless, and, now that my heart is sealed, I couldn't even give up and lose to them if I wanted to. I'm just...alone..._

Iraki sat staring blankly out at the landscape for a while, silent tears pouring down her cheeks. She was too sunk in despair to think of a plan of action. She didn't want to get up, didn't want to move. Her stomach ached horribly, and she was weak with lack of food, but she wouldn't even move to take off her backpack and dig into the generous stores there.

And it was during this moment, this moment when the chill in Iraki's heart was growing, when she was in much more danger than she knew or suspected, that she was assaulted with a vision.

_Flash. _A sudden shudder ran through Iraki's body, and a bright light filled her vision. Her mind seemed to be screaming to her, telling her that something was very wrong. The light faded, leaving a blurry and indistinct vision in its wake.

_A girl identical to Iraki was apparently in the process of crawling out of a shallow pond to the black stone ground of a cave. In that instant that Iraki saw her, Iraki's green eyes locked on her bright blue ones, and Iraki realized who this girl was. "Kairi?" she whispered._

Then the vision was gone, and Iraki was staring out at green hills again. "What...was that?"

_"If a parallel crosses the mirror and both parallels are on the same side, then the parallels will see each other. So you and Kairi will see each other when she crosses."_

"So that means Kairi's on this side of the mirror now? And if she is, then maybe Kiru..."

Iraki jumped to her feet, her tears having abruptly stopped and the chill in her heart fading until it was almost unnoticeable. "I have to find them. But..."

She had seen Kairi in a cave of black stone, and here she was in the midst of rolling green hills. Was Kairi even on this world? And, even if she were, how could Iraki find her?

_Kairi and I looked right at each other. She must have seen where I am, too. So maybe the best thing is to stay right here?_

But even as Iraki thought of sitting down to wait, she found that she was too excited, too full of anticipation about seeing Kiru to just sit still. Then her stomach felt a particularly pointed pang of hunger, and Iraki decided that she should eat. She couldn't be seen by Kiru when she was so hungry that her knees were weak. So, taking off her backpack and opening it up, she pulled out a couple packages of food and set to eating her first meal since the strawberries in Crossroads City. But, although the food tasted delicious to her empty stomach, Iraki couldn't help but spend more time scanning all around her for approaching figures than paying attention to what she was eating. She was so distracted that once she even bit a package, but, after spitting out the plastic and ripping the package farther open, she went right back to scanning around her.

Her newfound hope was enough to make Iraki forget about the chill in her heart, but, even so, it was still undeniably there, deep down inside, waiting...


	30. The Journeys Continue

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 30: The Journeys Continue  
**

Riku and Kairi had been walking in silence for a while now. They still hadn't seen any sign of Iraki, Sora, or any people at all. The rolling hills that they had been traversing had just now met up with the end of the path to the castle. The castle itself was just ahead of them, the closed front gates and the guards in front of them clearly in view.

"Should we go to the castle?" Riku asked.

"Iraki was on the path leading to the castle," Kairi responded, considering. She suddenly exclaimed, "But Sora could be there!" Her excitement dropped from her face as quickly as it had appeared, and she put a hand to her chest, almost seeming to grimace in pain. "No, I suppose Sora wouldn't be there. Not...as he is now."

Riku gazed a little sadly at Kairi's expression of deep hurt, but, rather than trying to comfort her, he decided that it would be best to keep her mind--and maybe his own as well--from thinking about such a grim reality. "Should we follow the path, then?" he asked.

"Iraki might have gone to the castle, though," Kairi stated thoughtfully, eagerly taking the opening that Riku had given her to think about something other than the pain in her heart. "And if the people on this side are like the people on ours, they might be able to help us." Kairi frowned after that last comment, and Riku could just imagine her mind turning to thoughts of the opposite Ansem and parallel Mickey. She didn't amend her statement, though. Either she had changed her mind about them, or maybe her curiosity was enough to make her want to go to the castle anyway.

"Then let's go. If she's not there, we can leave and follow the path."

Kairi nodded. "Okay."

Although Riku hated to admit it, inwardly, he was a bit glad for the detour and actually hoped that Iraki wasn't at the castle. He was curious about meeting her and eager to keep his promise to Kiru, but, at the same time, he dreaded the news that he would have to bring her. All he could think was that it would be like having to tell Kairi that Sora was gone forever. The thought of telling this girl, a girl whom he was supposed to take care of, that the person she loved most in the world was never coming back made him sick to his stomach.

Riku led the way toward the guarded gate, Kairi sticking close to him, apparently nervous. As they approached, the guards shifted their spears to quite visibly bar the pair's passage. Riku sighed, remembering the overly-strict guard at the King's Castle. He knew that it might be even harder to get inside here. He wasn't carrying a wounded Kiru this time, and the guards definitely wouldn't have orders to admit a silver-haired, blue-eyed young man immediately, although, even if they did, without Kiru it wouldn't matter. He and Kairi were on their own to convince the guards to let them in.

"Who goes there? And with what business?" the guard to the left of the gates demanded. She was glaring suspiciously at Riku and Kairi, her eyes narrowed and watching them closely. The guard on the right looked considerably less interested. He seemed to be trying to figure out how to stifle a yawn without taking a hand from his spear.

Riku couldn't think of any plausible reply to give to the guard's demands aside from the truth. A bit reluctantly, he stated, "We're visitors from another world. We need help finding some people. I know the king isn't here, but if we could talk to the queen or..." He trailed off, realizing that "Donald" and "Goofy" probably weren't the correct names on this side of the mirror.

"We'd really appreciate your help," Kairi added, her voice a bit overly sweet and genuine. Riku wondered if his tone had been harsh, but he really didn't care that much. The attitude of the female guard was causing his temper to rise.

"How did you know the king isn't here?" the male guard cried, his boredom suddenly disappearing. Now both guards were watching them closely, spears held threateningly.

Riku clenched his fists but tried to keep his temper in check, uselessly telling himself that they were just doing their job. "We know because we just talked to him! Can't we talk to someone? The queen?"

"You talked to the king!?" The male guard's spear lowered a bit as he stared at them in stunned excitement. The female guard, however, now looked more dubious than ever.

"Yes. Now can we-"

"And he sent you here?"

Riku blinked. Now there was a way to get them in that he hadn't thought of. Mickey himself hadn't specifically sent them, but that was a technicality that really didn't matter right now. "Yes. We're Keyblade Masters," he added. He doubted the guards would know what that meant, but, even if they didn't, it probably sounded official and important.

"If the king sent you, then..." The male guard was already lowering his spear farther and taking a step back out of their way, but the female one didn't budge. If possible, her glare had grown even more suspicious.

"How do we know that any of what you're saying is true?" she demanded.

Riku was about to call the Golden Keyblade--that would prove part of their story, anyway, although he knew he was doing it more out of temper than anything--but Kairi, seeming to realize what he was planning, put a hand on his arm to stop him. "We don't want any misunderstandings," she stated.

Riku took a deep breath and stopped himself, struggling to force his temper under control. Of course. A drawn weapon would have been all the excuse the female guard needed to turn them away completely.

"Why doesn't one of you tell the queen what we've said and let her decide?" Kairi suggested, "If she needs proof, we'll show you our Keyblades."

"Keyblades?" the male guard repeated, sounding as if it were a foreign word. Excitement was easily visible in his features.

"Go and report this to the queen," the other guard barked. As Kairi had apparently suspected, she had no interest in allowing them to hold weapons and was left with no choice but to send the other guard away or risk his asking the two to show him their Keyblades. Letting her know that they had weapons had likely just made her more suspicious of them, but, as long as they didn't draw the weapons, she probably couldn't just turn them away. Now it was up to the queen. They could only hope that she was a parallel rather than an opposite.

But at the moment Riku and Kairi had no need to worry about this side's Minnie. Just as the guard opened one gate slightly and moved through it to enter the castle, the sound of screams became audible from inside. The castle's large double doors burst open, and servants began running out in a panic. The remaining guard, Riku, and Kairi all had to scramble backwards as the gates were thrown wide open by the people pouring out.

"Let's go!" Riku declared. He and Kairi both called their Keyblades, and the two began pushing their way through the crowd, which fled from their path in fear, and into the castle.

What they saw when they finally reached the main entryway was a single shadow, its claws sunk into the chest of a teenage servant girl, in the process of stealing her heart.

Riku let out a yell and charged, determined to kill the Heartless before it got that heart.

"Riku, NO!" Kairi screamed.

Riku hadn't stopped to think before attacking the Heartless. It hadn't occurred to him that a shadow shouldn't be all alone. And Riku didn't have a painfully aching place inside his heart to tell him exactly who that Heartless was.

"SORA!!" Kairi screamed as Riku brought the Golden Keyblade down.

* * *

Aros opened his eyes and sat up, looking around the completely unfamiliar landscape. Or was it so unfamiliar?

_This must be Empty Citadel._

Aros looked down at his hands and was startled to find them both empty. He immediately called the two Keyblades from within him.

Only one appeared.

Aros swore, slamming the Black Keyblade into the snowy ground of the ledge that he was on. They had done it. The Silver Keyblade was no longer his.

_If I had just used the power of the darkness, then none of this would have happened._

Aros pushed that thought angrily away. Use the darkness? He couldn't. Not when his heart was so vulnerable.

_But if I don't use the darkness, then the only defenses I have are the Black Keyblade and the Heartless!_

Aros smacked the ground again with the Black Keyblade. Only defenses... He stood, pointing the Black Keyblade toward the falls around him. "Fire!" he cried.

A small, rather pitiful fireball arched from the tip of the Keyblade and plummeted almost immediately, not even reaching the falls. _My magic is almost all gone now... If I used the darkness, I'm sure that I could counteract this and get it back. But I can't risk it! I should just seal my heart. Once it's sealed, I'll no longer have anything to fear from the darkness. Of course... That's why I tested the Black Keyblade on Iraki._

Aros held the Keyblade out before him, shifting his grip on the hilt and turning it to face him.

_What if it doesn't work right since I'm using it on myself?_

_It will work. Sora once unlocked his own heart with a Keyblade, after all._

_But that's exactly what I'm trying not to do!_

Aros forced his mind to stop thinking about it. After all, he really had no choice. He knew that he needed the power of the darkness, and there was no other way to protect his heart from it. So he took a deep breath and plunged the Black Keyblade into his chest.

His first sensation was an intense cold, enough to freeze his limbs in place and set him to gasping. Then, as he tried to concentrate on what it was he wanted the Keyblade to do, the cold was abruptly replaced by a searing heat. Aros let out a cry.

_Click._

The heat faded. Aros sunk to his knees, withdrawing the Keyblade from his chest. _So that was it, was it? My heart is safe now. No more reason not to use the darkness._

He knew that he should be overjoyed, but somehow he wasn't. Maybe it was because, deep down inside, he knew his heart wasn't what most desperately needed protecting. If only there were some way to protect his mind...

_I'm just worried that the seal won't work. That's all it is that's bugging me._

Aros dismissed the Black Keyblade and shakily stood. He knew this world was Empty Citadel. He shouldn't, but he did. And if this really was Empty Citadel, then...

_I could go after Ansem. I could actually call upon the power of the darkness. Maybe I could even take him down. Return his heart to darkness and end his pitiful existence!_

Aros shook his head. Now was not the time for him to face off against Ansem. But those thoughts did bring up one important point. He needed to work out his next course of action. The Heartless had destroyed Crossroads City, and it was up to him where to send them next. _I need to get rid of those Keyblade Masters on the other side of the mirror. But what world would they be on?_

_But I already know they're at the King's Castle._

Aros scowled. He had been watching through another's eyes again. How long would that continue before he was noticed?

But it didn't matter now. He had to get orders out to the Heartless. Closing his eyes, he used his heart to send out his call. Soon an army of the Heartless would be parading through the mirror, all headed for the King's Castle.

That done, Aros turned his mind to other matters. Matters that were even more important than destroying various worlds. Not only had he lost the Silver Keyblade, but he had lost Sora. And if Sora's heart really had survived...

_I have to find him before someone else does. If they get his heart near him, he might react. And if his heart really is alive, then the White Keyblade can save him._

Aros scowled. He should have taken care of that Keyblade long ago. Why had he let Iraki keep it, anyway?

And then he realized something surprising. He had fought Iraki back in Crossroads City, and she had never once drawn the White Keyblade. _Could it be that she's lost it? But to who? And how? Why didn't I notice this before!?_

Aros scowled again, summoning the Black Keyblade so he could slam it into the ground a few more times. He had just destroyed Crossroads City. Wasn't this supposed to be a good time for him? A moment of triumph?

_The Silver Keyblade is missing, Sora's heart is missing, Sora is missing, the White Keyblade is missing... This can't have happened! How did Sora and I get separated? We achieved our goal in __Crossroads__City__!_

_We were separated because I didn't use the power of the darkness to keep us together._

Aros let out a frustrated yell and jumped into the air, holding the Black Keyblade high over his head. He came down on another ledge, driving the Black Keyblade deep into the snowy ground. He went to pull it back out and found that it was slightly stuck. Yanking, the Keyblade came free, but Aros was sent sprawling over backwards, just barely managing not to fall right off the ledge.

_I have to find Sora._

Aros scowled. He didn't need to be reminded. But how exactly was he going to find him?

_The Heartless of course. But he's just one of them, isn't he? No, he worked right with me. He even learned his name. That's right. They would have to be able to find him, even if I just sent a message around until it got to him._

_But do I have that much time? I'm sure the darkness could help me._

_That's what it always comes down to, isn't it?_

_Of course._

Aros sighed dejectedly--a rather unusual gesture for him--and dismissed the Keyblade again. He took a deep breath, nervousness apparent in his features, but there was no one here to see it, and Aros himself would never admit that he had felt anything of the sort.

Then he did it--the one thing that he had been avoiding ever since he had become aware of the true effects of his last decision to open himself to darkness.

It took only a second before he could feel the power coursing through his veins. The darkness was all around him...inside him.

It was perfect, just as he had always known. Darkness was the only true perfection...

But too bad Aros, like Iraki, didn't realize that a sealed heart was much like a door that was locked and not bolted--anything could still get in, as long as it was opened from the inside. He was no safer than Riku had been.

* * *

Tidus awoke to find himself lying facedown in the grass. He immediately pushed himself up to a kneeling position, coughing and spitting out the grass that had gotten into his mouth while he was unconscious. _Where am I?_

He looked around to discover that he was in the middle of a green field. It seemed to stretch on forever, completely filling his vision. Except there were three small defects in the completely green surroundings. Three figures could be seen around Tidus at various stages of standing up. He smiled, relieved, and pulled himself all the way to his feet, immediately heading over to one the smaller figures--the one who didn't have a pile of hair sticking at odd angles off the top of her head. "Yuna, you okay?"

Yuna was just pulling herself up from the ground, looking rather dazed. "Tidus?" She turned to him and smiled gratefully, looking about ready to throw her arms around him but a little unsure if this was the time or the place for it.

"Are you okay?" Tidus repeated.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Yunie! Tidus! You guys okay over there?"

"We're fine!" Yuna called to Rikku, who had stood and was now jogging over to them. Auron was walking toward them as well, but at a more sedate pace.

"The Keyblade?" Auron asked once he was near.

Tidus's eyes widened, and he looked down at his hands. "No..."

"Then our role in this might be over."

"Over!?" Rikku cried, "But we still have to help them, don't we?"

"We may have already given them all the help we can. And do you know where they are now?" Auron asked pointedly.

"Well, no! But..." Rikku trailed off, scowling slightly.

"So, what do we do now?" Yuna questioned.

Auron frowned, gazing at the endless stretch of green around them. "We try to find the door so we can leave this world and return to Empty Citadel.

"Return to Empty Citadel?" Tidus cried, "But when Ansem told us to leave, you said-"

"What I said then is irrelevant," Auron interrupted, "Empty Citadel is not yet lost, or at least should not be. We may yet be able to help if we can get there."

"So it's not gone after all?" Rikku exclaimed.

"It shouldn't be. There is much yet that needs to happen there."

"All right then. Let's go!" Tidus declared.

"Yes," Yuna agreed.

"Yeah!" Rikku exclaimed.

And with that, Tidus started out across the green, the others following his lead.

It seemed impossible that they would find the door on this world, but maybe, just maybe, the Keyblade Masters wouldn't need their help in the end anyway. And maybe, if they really were needed, they would make it in time.

They could only hope.

* * *

Ansem stared in shock at the Heartless. It just stared back at him with its huge, yellow eyes.

"You...made it past all the soldiers?" Ansem choked out, not really expecting an answer from the Heartless but in too much shock to think about what he was saying.

"This is serious," Mickey mumbled from beside him.

He was right. This proved that the situation truly was desperate. Only one Heartless had made it to Ansem and Mickey so far, but even so, a Heartless had made it all the way into the heart of Ansem's laboratory. It was standing before his machines...

And where was _she_ in all of this if the Heartless could even make it into the most protected area of the castle?

_She's probably fighting them,_ Ansem thought grimly, _I only hope she remembers my warnings. And heeds them..._

But Ansem could do nothing for her at the moment, and he had other matters to worry about. Namely, the little black creature standing in front of him. The Heartless wasn't attacking, though. It was still staring at him, seemingly a bit confused. Ansem couldn't help it; his eyes lit up as he realized why the Heartless was just standing there. "So I remind you of someone, do I? Or is that I'm so different from him that you're confused?"

"Ansem, what do you...?" Mickey stared down at the Heartless, looking just as confused himself.

The Heartless didn't respond. Ansem suddenly heard the distant sound of claws on stone. More Heartless were coming. He glanced nervously at the machine next to him--the one that held Kiru's sword. "We can't let them come in here. They might destroy things, and Kiru has to have that sword."

Mickey turned to Ansem, looking worried. "What are you planning?"

Ansem couldn't help but smile slightly. Mickey always could see the intention behind his words, after all. Mind made up, Ansem held a hand out and aimed directly at the Heartless. "Light!"

The shadow let out a shriek and fell over backwards, but it was not destroyed.

Mickey immediately drew his sword and jumped forward, slashing across the Heartless's body. The shadow dissolved into the air.

Ansem stepped forward toward the doorway. He hated to do this, but it was the only way to make sure that the Heartless didn't get in. "Mickey, please help me."

Mickey, realizing his intention, hesitated for a second before coming forward. The two locked their grips around the edges of the large stone slab that served as a door. After a minute or two of pulling and tugging, the door was securely locked in place.

"Now then, we'll have to seal the edges to make sure no shadows slide in through the cracks."

Mickey nodded. They each brought a hand up, aiming toward the top of the door. A beam of magical energy shot out of each of their hands, Ansem's white and Mickey's red. Both slowly traced the doorframe with their beams, going in opposite directions and meeting at the bottom. The beams stopped, and the two lowered their hands.

For an instant, the doorframe glowed white on the left and red on the right. Then the color faded, and the stone of the door and the stone of the walls suddenly seemed to have melded together, creating the illusion of another solid wall.

"Even if the magical seal isn't strong enough to keep them out, then hopefully the accompanying illusion will prevent them from even noticing the room," Ansem commented.

Mickey sighed. "Well, either way, it's going to keep us in."

Ansem nodded sadly. As much as it tore at his heart, he wouldn't be able to do anything to protect his own world from the Heartless attack. He couldn't protect her... _Please, keep yourself safe. We need you!_

Even if Empty Citadel itself couldn't be destroyed because the Keyhole had not yet been revealed, that didn't protect the very important person who was out there, probably in the midst of the battle. They could not afford to lose her, but there was no longer anything Ansem could do. 


	31. Decisions

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 31: Decisions  
**

"Your Majesty, the Heartless have reached the castle!" cried the servant. He was maybe seventeen, his livery disheveled and covered in a mismatch of armor, a sword with a rusted hilt belted at his side. He had no real helmet. Instead, he wore a garment of leather atop his head that was obviously a bit too small for him and did nothing at all to protect his face. But he and many servants and townspeople like him had refused to go to the basement of the castle and wait out the battle. They had insisted on staying in the main portion of the castle, fighting any enemy that came within its walls and protecting those who were in hiding. They had little by the way of gear, but that had done nothing to stem any of their zeal. Minnie found that she really admired them.

The queen herself was now outfitted in a shirt and leggings, wearing some of her husband's much-too-large armor. She also wore a helmet, visor lifted, and held a long, decorated scepter that had slight magic-enhancing properties. She wouldn't just hide unarmed when even her servants were willing to fight.

"We _have _to protect the passage to the basement," Minnie directed, "But we can't let them see that we're protecting it. Just don't be too obvious. These are Heartless; they probably won't notice anyway. And they shouldn't be trying to find the refugees at all. They should be..." The queen stopped, a realization suddenly dawning on her. Why hadn't she thought of this earlier? She had been so focused on protecting the people and their hearts that it hadn't even occurred to her what the Heartless's true goal would be. _Mickey never would have made such a mistake. I have to think more carefully. I can't risk losing our world. Not when he trusted me with it._

"Your Majesty?" the servant asked timidly, obviously in a hurry to relay orders to the troops but afraid of disturbing the queen when she was lost in thought.

"Watch the movements of the Heartless carefully. They'll be after this world's Keyhole. If they've come to the castle, then it must be in here somewhere. We can't let them reach it--at all costs! Make sure everyone knows that we must find and protect the Keyhole!"

"Yes, My Queen." The servant bowed hastily and ran from the room, ready to relay the orders to his commanding officer and begin the spread of the queen's commands through the army.

Minnie sighed, gazing out the doorway where the servant had disappeared. She squeezed her scepter for reassurance. If the Heartless were at the castle, then her battle would begin soon. Until then, she could not leave this room. She had to be easy for anyone to find so that intelligence reports could be delivered to her in an instant. She hated it, this waiting game, but she feared action more than she hated inaction, so she had to admit that, inwardly, she was a bit relieved to have such a responsibility that kept her at least temporarily out of the thick of the fighting. The fact was, as queen, she could have holed herself up in the throne room with a personal guard, refusing to fight at all, and no one would have given it a second thought. But Minnie would never have been able to live with herself if she had done that. All she kept thinking was that her husband was out there, trapped behind Kingdom Hearts, fighting for his life every minute of every day, and it was all because he had been unwilling to sit back and watch the last time the Heartless had been set free. Now, not only was the universe in danger from the Heartless, but their very world was as well. There was no way Minnie could just sit back and watch. Her husband never would have. And, while he was gone, she had to fill his role. Even if she could never completely live up to Mickey's leadership, she had to do the very best she possibly could. His faith in her had always been deep and unconditional. She swore that she would never give him a reason to regret it.

The sound of battle reached Minnie's ears. It was still rather distant, but it was obvious that there were now Heartless roaming within the castle walls themselves. Despite all her army's efforts, they simply did not have the numbers to stem the tide of Heartless pouring from the mirror. And, even though the attack had been going on for a while, the tide had not yet stopped or even slowed. Minnie could only pace around the meeting room, filled with fear and anxiety, as reports began to pour in of the quickly dropping morale, the units being forced to turn against their own soldiers as they ceased to be themselves, and the units that were completely decimated. Minnie guessed that probably close to half of her army were Heartless now. The castle servants and people from nearby towns willing to fight bolstered their numbers somewhat, but those people were completely untrained, and Minnie knew that their resistance would prove even less effective than that of the army.

So was there no hope left at all for the King's Castle?

But Minnie wouldn't contemplate that question. Whether there was hope left or not meant nothing. No matter what, she would never surrender. In a battle with the Heartless, it was all or nothing. You just didn't stop in the middle, regardless of what the odds were like.

Another "soldier" in hodge-podge armor came dashing into the room, holding the right arm that hung limply at his side, deep claw scratches coursing down it. This soldier was a man, maybe in his late thirties or so, severe gray eyes clearly visible under his dark brows. "Will you move to a safe location?" he demanded of the queen, seeming to forget all formalities in his desperation. This man was definitely a villager, perhaps a merchant of some sort. But his origins were currently irrelevant. In this battle, he was a soldier, and that was all that mattered.

"I will fight," Minnie stated firmly, "There is no point in keeping me in hiding. I can do nothing to help my world while I'm cowering at a 'safe location.'"

The man sighed, exasperated. "They told me you would say that, but..." He gestured vaguely, as if to indicate a reason why his logic was correct and Minnie's was not.

The queen simply fixed him with a level gaze. "I will fight, and that is final. Now, what can you tell me about the Heartless's destination? Have we found the Keyhole? Have they?"

"No one has discovered anything yet. At least, not anything that I have been notified of."

"That will be all then."

"My queen, are you sure-"

Minnie cut him off with a wave of her hand. "See what you can find out about the Keyhole. That is what is most important right now."

"Yes, my queen." The man bowed hastily, his brow furrowed in worry and a touch of a scowl visible on his face. He turned and left the room briskly, all his body language indicating that he was unsatisfied with the results of his visit.

Minnie sighed. She knew that she would probably have to confront many more people like him through the course of this conflict, but it was something that she would just have to face. She wasn't backing down.

There was a sudden scream from somewhere down the hallway. This was it, then. Clutching her scepter tightly, the queen finally emerged from the meeting room. It was time for her to fight.

* * *

With the darkness surging inside him, Aros found himself connected to the Heartless in a way that he had never been before. He could sense many more of them than he had ever attempted to control, and he could even hear them thinking. He had been able to send out orders before and usually get enough of a sensation from them in reply to know if they were carrying the orders out. But now Aros found that he could communicate with them and hear actual thoughts in response. Such mindless beings they were, but yet with enough of a mind to respond--as long as he asked the right questions.

However, it seemed some of the most important questions were the ones that the Heartless could not answer. None had spotted Sora or the Silver Keyblade yet. They promised fervently that they would find them, but it would take time. Aros asked about the four from Crossroads City, although he hated to think that the Silver Keyblade was with them. But it _was_ the most likely place for it to be, considering what had happened. The Heartless had not seen any sign of them either.

So Aros had tried a different target--Iraki and that infernal White Keyblade. Getting that in his possession would keep them from rescuing Sora just as surely as having Sora himself. Aros asked about both Iraki and the Keyblade separately since he seriously doubted that she even had it anymore.

And the result from the Heartless... They had not seen the girl since Crossroads City. And the Keyblade they had seen yesterday, along with the person who was carrying it...

_**Kiru** has the White Keyblade!?_ After getting over his initial shock, Aros realized that it really did make sense. If Iraki didn't have the White Keyblade, of course she would have given it to Kiru. But why? And why hadn't the Heartless seen it since yesterday?

_I know Kiru's at the King's Castle now. The Heartless probably just haven't seen him since he arrived there, so chances are he still has the Keyblade. But do I know that for sure?_

_No, I don't. I know Kiru has a sword now. I know nothing more._

Aros scowled.

_I'm missing something very important._ Aros frowned at that thought. _I asked the Heartless if they had seen the Keyblades. But do Heartless always need to see a Keyblade to know where it is?_

Aros's eyes widened. Of course! He closed his eyes and again embraced the darkness that he had allowed to rest within him, asking the Heartless if they could sense any of the other three Keyblades.

The Silver Keyblade they could not sense at all. The Golden and White were quite easy to find, though. Both were at the King's Castle, as expected.

_So none of the other Keyblade Masters have the Silver Keyblade. But those four could still have it..._

So what was he supposed to do now? This hadn't helped him find Sora at all!

_I can't focus just on talking to the Heartless. There is much more to the darkness than that. If I went deeper, I bet I could pinpoint Sora's location myself._

Aros waited for the thoughts to finish, absorbing the information although he already knew it. He hesitated again. _I'm not afraid of the darkness, am I? Don't I want the whole universe to be absorbed in darkness--myself included? Of course I do! It's the only way for true perfection to be achieved. But if I am taken by the darkness before my enemies are, then I won't be able to oppose them. My mind! My mind will be gone!_

Aros's thoughts were silent for a moment after that emphatic exclamation. Then: _I do have to protect **my** mind._

_And mine?_

_There is only one._

He sighed.

_It will be protected. It has to be. As will this heart be. But how? I can do things with my mind that most cannot. And I'm sure that I have enough power myself to keep the darkness at bay. If **I** don't, then no one does._

Aros snickered. That was the point, wasn't it? Darkness was the all-powerful force in the universe. _Nothing_ could stand against it forever.

_But I don't need to do it forever. Just long enough so I can make sure the darkness defeats **everything**. Can I do that? Yes!_

Aros gave in. The darkness was his only resource, and if his heart and mind were protected, what did he have to lose?

That thought made him snicker again. His mind? Protected? From the overall darkness, maybe, but otherwise...

He cut off that pointless train of thought. He was protected from the darkness, and that was all that mattered. So he did it. He took a deep breath and plunged deeper into the darkness. If this didn't find Sora, then nothing would.

_And what will I do once I've gotten him back? I'll get the Silver Keyblade back and make those four pay. And then, if any of the other Keyblade Masters have survived the destruction of the King's Castle, I'll make them pay, too. They'll be mine. I'll make them **all** belong to the darkness!_

It only took a second before Aros found the answer that he was looking for. Naturally, the darkness had no trouble at all pinpointing the location of the Heartless that used to be Sora. He was on the world known as the Sovereign's Palace.

But how to get there? The mirror was the ideal way for Aros to travel. He had been able to send the Heartless through it to specific worlds before. He didn't understand how they used the mirror, but he knew that they could, and he could easily find out from them both how they used it and where it was on Empty Citadel.

Closing his eyes again, Aros asked the Heartless his questions. They could tell him nothing about how to reach a certain world through the mirror. It always just happened. And they hadn't been to the mirror at Empty Citadel. Aros asked about Hollow Bastion, but they hadn't been there either.

Aros scowled. So now what? How was he going to find the mirror?

_Why don't I just bring some Heartless here? They can find the mirror that way, and it wouldn't hurt to attack this world, would it? In fact, it's quite an opportunity. Ansem and Mickey both are trying to help at the King's Castle. If I lure them back here..._

Aros blinked. Ansem and Mickey were _both_ here? That _was _quite an opportunity.

Aros's lips twisted into a smile. There were more than enough Heartless at the King's Castle anyway. Bringing out some more Heartless from behind the door and pulling a small number of his forces from the King's Castle would give him plenty to lay siege to Empty Citadel. He only had to send out the message. And then he could get to the mirror and retrieve Sora before anyone else did.

It seemed this was a moment of triumph for him after all.

* * *

At Kairi's words, Riku jerked the Golden Keyblade back as quickly as his reflexes would permit. _Sora!?_

He wasn't quite fast enough and, to his horror, felt the Keyblade sink into the shadow's shoulder. It yelped as the blade imbedded itself in its skin, and black blood began to flow. Riku's sudden pull upward, however, dislodged the Keyblade, and the shadow--Sora--immediately became a real shadow, abandoning the servant girl completely and speeding across the ground, rushing up a staircase at top speed.

"SORA!!" Kairi cried again. The pain in her voice was so intense that it hurt for Riku to hear it. She had both hands pressed firmly against her chest and was slightly hunched over, breathing hard.

"Kairi, are you-"

"Please, Riku, just catch him!" Kairi cried, slowly collapsing to her knees. Her voice was almost a whimper, and tears were just beginning to slide down her cheeks. "He's not there...but it's him...it is him..." she whispered.

Riku couldn't help it; he hesitated. After all, when it came down to helping Kairi or helping Sora, who was he supposed to choose? But he knew that Kairi wanted him to go after Sora, and Sora was in no shape to make a request. _And Kiru...he gave up his life so that we would have a chance to rescue Sora._

His decision made, Riku took off in the direction in which the shadow had fled, trying his best to shut out the whimpering and crying behind him.

Although he had lost sight of the shadow, it wasn't hard for Riku to follow it. When he reached the landing of the second floor, he immediately heard screams emanating from the first room on the left of the hallway. Riku ran up to the door and found it locked, but this was, of course, no problem for him. He brought the Golden Keyblade down to the lock. _Click._ And he was in the room.

The first thing Riku noticed was that the shadow apparently wasn't very intelligent. Riku hated to think that, but this was a _shadow_ after all--not his friend. And it was always possible that the shadow had expected Riku to stay with Kairi. That sounded like something Sora would think. He would have wanted Riku to help her first.

Whatever the reason, the shadow hadn't safely stayed as a shadow or hidden somewhere in the room or done any number of things that a wounded, fleeing shadow could have done to keep itself safe. Instead, it had simply come back up from the floor and moved to steal the heart of the young servant boy who was hiding in the corner, crying and screaming.

Riku could only think of one way to put an end to this without Sora getting hurt any further. He ran across the room, shifting his grip on the Golden Keyblade as he went, until he was able to bring down the blunt backside of it against the somewhat distracted Sora.

But Sora wasn't quite distracted enough. The Heartless turned into a shadow again, sliding across the ground and out the door. This time, Riku didn't hesitate; he ran right after the shadow, pumping his legs as hard as he could after the exhausting day that he had endured. But Riku had always been fast, and what he was chasing was just a shadow, after all--albeit it a rather one-of-a-kind one. He was sure he would be able to catch up.

Riku never got a chance to find out, however. The Heartless dashed madly straight down the middle of the hallway, which proved to be a useful tactic for it. In the time since the screams had first begun, the hallway had become clogged with people fleeing from their rooms to somewhere deeper in the castle, and, while Sora could just slide under the people, Riku had to push through them.

It only took a second for Riku to lose the shadow under all the tramping feet. Riku swore, backing himself into a doorway to avoid being swept up in the flood of escapees. He had no idea where Sora had gotten to, and both sides of the hallway were solidly lined with doors. _What can I do now? I can't just give up. He's injured. What if someone attacks him? He could be..._

Riku shook his head, trying to force those thoughts away. He definitely had to do something. If he could find the queen, maybe she could send out warnings to everyone. Sora needed to be subdued, but he couldn't risk Sora getting killed. _So how do I do that? Where would the queen be?_

News of the Heartless in the castle had to have reached the queen by now, hadn't it? No doubt measures were being taken to protect her. But she was the ruler here, so determining a course of action would be her responsibility. The first thing she would want to do would be to gather all the facts...

_The meeting room!_ Riku threw himself back into the flood of people, determined to push his way there as fast as he possibly could. He just had to remember that this world was flipped from the King's Castle. As long as he didn't make any wrong turns, he should be able to get there quickly. _Sora, you'd better not give up yet. I know you're stronger than that. I just need a little time..._


	32. Familiar New Faces

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 32: Familiar New Faces  
**

Iraki didn't know how long she had been waiting. She knew that it probably wasn't as long as it seemed, but that didn't matter to her. She couldn't stand the thought of just sitting here any longer. Especially if... _Especially if no one is coming. If they've just decided to leave me alone. They probably...have other things they need to do. I bet they're not even on this world..._ Iraki sighed deeply. That chill in her heart was growing stronger again, but the increase had been so gradual and imperceptible that Iraki had hardly even noticed it. The feeling was just there now, quickly becoming a part of her. It hurt, but she saw no reason to do anything about it. And she was sure that, when she saw Kiru again, he would take it away. He always did make her feel better, no matter how bad things were. Even in their dream, he had almost calmed her fears. Until her abrupt awakening, anyway...

"What do I do now?" Iraki whispered to herself. She had long ago finished her meal and had debated seizing the opportunity to rest, but, after all the time she had spent unconscious lately, she really didn't think she needed it. And what if there were Heartless on this world? Or hostile people? She couldn't just go to sleep in the middle of a path!

More importantly, she couldn't just go to sleep when she was watching for someone. Well, a group of people, but she couldn't deny that she was really watching for someone in particular. She didn't think she could rest again until she'd found him. Not when he was possibly so close...

She had seen Kairi in a cave of black stone. What if it were possible for her to find Kairi and the others instead of vice versa? _Maybe, if they **are** on this world. But if not, I'll probably just wind up wandering for nothing._

Iraki sighed deeply. Whatever she tried to do, the effort would probably be worthless. Everything she had done had been worthless. _But I can't just sit here and do nothing. I have to at least look...don't I?_

The cold in her heart was heavy. Her excitement from earlier had almost worn off, replaced by a sort of restless hope. She didn't feel like sleeping or sitting still, but she didn't particularly feel like wandering uselessly, either. Was going after them really worth it? When she knew it was hopeless anyway?

_Do I know it's hopeless? What if I do find them? What if I do find him? If I could at least find out something about where he is or how he's doing..._

Iraki pulled herself to her feet, clutching a hand to her aching chest. As she drew herself up, the ache slowly faded. _I have to keep trying. Anything that I can do to help me find Kiru is worth it! And the Silver Keyblade... Aros must still have it! But I can't...I can't get it back from him..._

Without even realizing it, Iraki had begun to sink to her knees again. _No, Kiru! I have to find Kiru._ She pulled herself back up determinedly. _Even if there really isn't anything else I can do, even if I'm completely worthless otherwise, I can at least find him. I have to..._

With that, Iraki set out along the path, unknowingly headed in the direction of the Sovereign's Palace and the news that would ruin her.

* * *

Riku managed to get to the meeting room without making any real navigational errors. Once there, he found one of the large double doors ajar. Riku slowed and entered cautiously, wondering if perhaps Sora wasn't the only Heartless on this world.

But inside, instead of Heartless, he found Kairi standing before the great table. She turned to him, a hand still pressed against her chest. "I thought you might come here," she said. She winced. "He's really close..."

"What? Where is he?" Riku cried in alarm.

"I don't know exactly...I can't feel him."

"What do you mean?"

"I can feel the emptiness... There's so much emptiness around him. I know he's close because the emptiness is so strong."

"Do you think you could finish your explanation so that we can help you?" interrupted a pointed but still very mousy voice.

Riku whirled in surprise, having forgotten exactly who he had come to this room to find.

Sitting at the head of the great table was a very familiar face but with brown eyes the like of which Riku had only seen once before--on the parallel King Mickey. Her identity was an easy thing to fathom; her features were the splitting image of Queen Minnie. But, whereas the queen he had come to know at the King's Castle had exuded a firm gentleness, this queen was all regality. She sat with her back rigid, arms resting on the arms of the chair. A highly embellished satin gown coated her mousy frame, and a golden crown sat perfectly balanced between her two large ears.

"Queen Winnie," Kairi began, the name catching Riku slightly off-guard, although he knew he should have been expecting something of the sort, "this is Riku. He's a Keyblade Master, too."

"Another familiar name. I have heard of you from my husband as well," the queen commented, addressing Riku.

"You've heard from King Mickey!?" Riku declared before he could stop himself. He immediately felt foolish for the outburst. After all, both Ansem and the parallel Mickey had access to Ansem's machine. Of course Mickey would be able to leave the King's Castle now and again and visit his home.

The queen sighed. "Not since a few days ago. But he warned me that the Heartless might attack here. And also that the Keyblade Masters might come here, seeking our aid." She certainly looked like Queen Minnie, but Riku couldn't help but notice that she seemed much more detached and official. She wasn't at all the same determined but warm-hearted queen that he knew. Just as the nervous, more reserved king whom he had seen at the King's Castle was not at all the same King Mickey who had protected him within Kingdom Hearts.

"So, what is it that you need of us?" Queen Winnie continued. Her eyes narrowed slightly at Riku, as if finding his scrutiny rude. Riku unconsciously turned his gaze away. There was something about her that almost seemed to command respect, and Riku wasn't feeling particularly prideful at the moment. Not after all that had transpired concerning Kiru and Sora.

It was during that moment when he turned away from the queen that he finally noticed the other figures sitting around the table. It was almost surreal to look at them, their faces so familiar but their eyes betraying the difference. Except for one whose familiarity only came in that he was so completely different. This humanoid dog was short and small, his fur pale tan in color with droopy ears of a chocolate shade that perfectly matched his eyes. The eyes themselves were narrow and serious, simultaneously seeming both harsh and sad. Even just glancing at him, it would be easy to tell who this dog _wasn't_. But that was how opposites worked.

"Well, about what we need..." Kairi trailed off. "Riku, what happened with Sora?"

Riku's attention snapped back to the reality of the situation. "I lost him," he admitted bitterly, "Queen Winnie, we do need your help. We have to make sure nothing happens to Sora! He's wounded, but he'll definitely keep attacking people. If someone were to..." Riku trailed off now, biting his lip and cursing himself for coming so close to saying something so careless. Kairi's fingers were clutching at her shirt now, and the pain in her eyes tore at Riku's own heart.

"What did you just say? Sora is here? The Keyblade Master Sora?" cried the duck who could be easily equated with Donald.

"Ronald, please do not be rude to our guests," Winnie admonished.

The duck rolled his eyes and settled back into his chair, almost seeming to be fidgeting excitedly.

Riku noticed that Kairi had opened her mouth to respond to the question, but she was working it soundlessly, seemingly unable to get any words out. He decided to answer for her. At least he could take the burden of giving that painful explanation upon himself. "Sora lost his heart. The Heartless that he has become is here."

There were gasps at that, and everyone around the table became wide-eyed.

"Sora...has lost his heart?" Queen Winnie choked out. She seemed to be sitting even more rigidly now, her tone somewhat neutral in an apparent attempt to hold onto her composure. Her complete shock and horror was still easily discernible in her features.

"But we're gonna get it back!" Kairi burst out. Riku couldn't help but be a bit surprised that she had managed to speak. But the depth of the desperation in her voice ruined what little comfort her words gave. This was not a topic that she could handle thinking about. "My Keyblade can restore his heart! We just need to stop him from attacking people without hurting him, and then if I can restore his heart, then he'll be all right again!"

Queen Winnie quirked an eyebrow. "Your Keyblade can do that?"

"Yes!"

"Well then." Winnie turned her attention to those sitting around the table. "Ronald, Draggy, you two are in charge of issuing the alert. This Heartless is to be found and subdued but not, under any circumstances, to be harmed. This goes in accordance with the king's orders to assist the Keyblade Masters, so it has his authority behind it. Please make that clear to everyone. And any reports of the activities of this Heartless are to come to me immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Ronald quacked.

"As ordered," Draggy--the apparent opposite of Goofy--mumbled, inclining his head slightly in acknowledgement.

The two stood then and left the room, Ronald enthusiastically leading the way and Draggy dawdling slightly behind him.

"Thank you," Kairi stated earnestly, her voice catching slightly. Looking at the pain in her face, the way she was clutching almost piteously at her heart, Riku wanted nothing more than to throw his arms around her and tell her everything would be all right, but he knew he couldn't, and not just because they were standing before the queen. _She wants Sora, not me. And I have to keep her mind focused on Sora. He's the only thing she's holding onto right now. If she weren't thinking about Sora, then she would be thinking about Kiru, and..._ Riku cut that train of thought off. Although he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't think of Kiru either. If he did, then all that would come of it would be accusations. They had _abandoned_ Kiru. Kiru had saved him twice, first by restoring Riku's heart at great personal risk, then by causing himself enough injury that he was almost definitely dead, and Riku had _abandoned_ him! _I can't think about that. Kiru said some things were more important than even his life. Whether or not I believe that protecting us was more important, I can't make his sacrifice be in vain._

"Please, have a seat while we wait to receive word." Queen Winnie gestured toward the empty seats before Riku and Kairi. Kairi sat down hesitantly, never taking her hand from her heart. Riku sat across from her, gazing at her worriedly as she gazed down at the table, her mind seemingly lost in thought, her pain, or both.

"So, is there anything more that you would like to request?" Queen Winnie questioned.

Kairi shook her head, bringing her gaze up to the queen. "This is so much already."

The queen smiled warmly, the sternness in her visage seeming to disappear for an instant. The warmth was gone as soon as it had come, however, and Riku blinked, wondering if he had been imagining things. For that instant, she had truly looked identical to Queen Minnie. "I know it's hard in such a situation, but you must think of practical matters as well. Whatever the action I have just taken might mean to you, it was a very simple thing for me to do, and I'm sure that I can do more for you just as easily."

"Can I make a request?" Riku broke in. He cringed slightly as all eyes turned to him. But this had to be said, if only to make sure Kairi and Sora would be accommodated for. Riku couldn't possibly think of asking for anything for himself, after all.

"Please do," Queen Winnie responded.

"Depending on what happens, we might need to stay on this world, overnight at least. Would that be possible?"

The female duck almost identical to Daisy burst into giggles at that request.

"Lily, please," Queen Winnie stated warningly, although there almost seemed to be a touch of a smile on her lips. "Would you like to answer the request?" she asked, her tone suspiciously neutral.

Lily stifled her laughter but continued to grin widely. "As you wish, my queen," she stated, although it was quite obvious that it wasn't because of the queen's wishes that she wanted to reply. "I apologize for my laughter. It just struck me as slightly amusing that you, the Keyblade Masters, would be worried about whether or not you would be met with hospitality at this palace. You needn't worry about that in the least. Meals, warm beds, hot baths, fresh clothing--anything you desire in that regard, just let me know, and I'll make sure you get it."

"Thank you," Kairi replied immediately. Riku simply nodded his thanks, hoping that the attention would shift back from him to Kairi. He shot her another worried glance. She was still clutching at her chest as if it hurt. While Riku was glad to see proof that Sora was near, he wished that Kairi didn't have to suffer so much. _It'll all be worth it. All this will be worth it when we get him back._

"Don't trouble yourselves about it," the queen broke in, "How rude would we be, the rulers of a respectable kingdom, if we didn't treat our guests properly, especially guests as important as you two?"

Kairi didn't respond but lowered her gaze to her lap.

"Do you have any other requests at all?" Queen Winnie pressed. Riku definitely had the impression now that, regardless of how this queen appeared on the outside, her heart and Minnie's were definitely the same.

"Nothing now. We just have to find Sora as soon as possible."

The queen nodded. "Everyone in the palace should have received my instructions by now. The news will be coming first to this room. As I offered before, you can remain here until we receive it."

"Thank you," Kairi mumbled again. Riku thought he heard a slight catch in her voice, but her head was down with her hair falling around face so that it was somewhat obscured, and he couldn't tell for sure if she was crying.

"Queen Winnie! Queen Winnie!" suddenly came loud, exciting quacking from outside the room.

Kairi's head jerked up, and the tears on her face caught the light.

The queen turned toward the doorway but waited until both the excited Ronald and the brisk but rather emotionless Draggy had entered the room before asking, "What do you have to report?"

"We've found him," Draggy, surprisingly, spoke up.

"Where is he? Has he been subdued?"

"He's in one of the bedrooms," Ronald broke in, "There are guards there trying to knock him out, but he's really fast, and nobody wants to hurt him. He's already got a big gash on his shoulder. It isn't slowing him down at all, but the guards are afraid that, even if the blunt side of a weapon strikes that wound, it could be disastrous. He is a shadow, after all, and it's not like you have to hit them in any specific place to kill them. You just have to hit them enough, and cutting his arm off would probably-" Ronald cut off abruptly, his expression turning into nervous confusion.

One glance at the queen and Riku knew why. She was glaring at the duck with such intensity that it was frightening. But Riku's own attention didn't stay on the queen. Across from him, Kairi had begun sobbing uncontrollably.

"He really is fine, though!" Ronald continued, apparently trying to redeem himself. "And I'm sure that nothing will happen to him. Everybody's being really careful."

"That's quite enough, Ronald," Queen Winnie interrupted rather curtly. "What is the plan of action?"

Ronald fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well, umm..."

"They're gonna keep trying ta knock him out," Draggy broke in, "And if that doesn't work, they're gonna try ta figure out how ta trap him. The little bugger can flatten himself, though, so they might not be able ta do that. The guards are hunting around among the reserves and even the servants for anybody who might just be fast enough to hit 'em."

Riku was torn again. For an instant he kept his gaze riveted on the crying Kairi, just barely managing to resist the urge to go to her and hug her. Then he looked back up at the fidgeting Ronald and the frowning Draggy. _They're right; Sora's fast. I could keep up with him just fine to run after him, but hitting him would be something else completely. And I bet I'm faster than most of the palace guards--if not all of them. So probably the only way to knock him out is if I do it. But Kairi..._

Riku started to reach a hand across the table, apparently about to grab Kairi's hand and squeeze it without even really intending to. He pulled his hand back. _No, she has to be strong on her own. And if I can subdue Sora, then..._ Riku couldn't help the beginnings of a smile from touching his lips at this sudden realization. _If I subdue Sora, then Kairi will be able to save him!_ Riku managed to pull his gaze from Kairi and back to the queen. "I'll do it."

Winnie, Ronald, and Draggy all turned to him in surprise, although both the queen and Draggy quite adeptly kept the emotion from showing on their faces. "What?" Ronald burst out.

"I can stop Sora. Lead me to him." Riku stood, calling the Golden Keyblade to his hand.

"Riku..."

Riku turned to Kairi, putting on a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I've been outrunning Sora our whole lives, remember?"

Kairi shook her head, tears still sliding down her cheeks. Riku kept that smile on his face and continued, "And we've been dueling all our lives, too. I know how to make sure I don't hurt him. You come, too. I'll knock him out, and then it'll be time for you to do your part."

Kairi's eyes widened. She apparently hadn't realized that, once Sora was knocked out, it would be her chance to restore his heart. Her tears stopped in her surprise, and she seemed to almost unconsciously pull herself to her feet. Riku headed toward the doorway, and she followed numbly.

"If you think this is the best course of action, then of course, Ronald and Draggy will lead you there," Winnie spoke up. For a second Riku wondered why she had even bothered to say it--he had made it quite obvious that his mind was made up--but then he realized that this regal Queen Winnie was probably worried about protocol and her image and just wanted to make it clear that this action was done with royal approval.

"Will do, your Majesty," Ronald replied, his tone more nervous than excited now. He was watching Winnie's face closely, probably waiting for some sign from her that he was forgiven.

"As ordered," Draggy murmured.

The queen gave a curt nod, and the duck and dog immediately left the room and began to head down the hall, Riku following with Kairi right behind him.

Slowing, Riku matched his pace with Kairi's. She seemed oblivious to the world, not even looking at him although the two were walking right next to each other. Riku noticed that she still had that hand clutched against her chest. _Just a little longer, Kairi. Just a little longer, and we'll save him. I promise!_

He could only hope that it was a promise he could keep.


	33. A Missing Heart

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 33: A Missing Heart  
**

Aros had been expecting the Heartless to come out of the mirror somewhere in this world and then find him so that he could use the ranks of Heartless as a guide to reach the mirror himself. What he hadn't been expecting was for them to come pouring out of the upwards-traveling falls just to his right.

As it turned out, he was mere feet from the mirror, and he never would have noticed it on his own; searching the world for the mirror would have been utterly futile. But Aros didn't need to worry about having to search a world for the mirror ever again--not with the Heartless at his disposal and the darkness at his fingertips.

And now he would be getting Sora back as well.

Aros watched eagerly as Heartless continued to pour from the falls. This was just the beginning of the forces that he had sent for, but already he was growing excited, imagining this world being overrun.

But he had other matters to attend to right now. Striding forward purposefully, he smirked slightly as the Heartless immediately parted to form a passage for him through their ranks.

And then there it was directly in front of him--a still spot in the falls where the water seemed frozen in midair. Heartless poured ceaselessly out of it, forming constant ripples that spread to the edges of the still area and disappeared as if that area weren't even a part of the rest of the falls. The Heartless yelped and scurried to the side as they left the mirror and caught sight of Aros; none would dare get in his way. Aros smirked again, but he was no longer paying any attention to the Heartless. No, his attention now was riveted on that still water. The mirror was right there...

Reaching out a hand, Aros touched it hesitantly. Ripples spread from his touch, colliding with the ripples being made by the incoming Heartless. Aros briefly wondered what it must look like to stare at the mirror from a distance when no one was disturbing its waters. It would be a surface as smooth as glass, the falls pouring upwards all around it. Although if the mirror in Crossroads City were any indication, it would probably look just like the rest of the falls unless someone disturbed it, causing the true surface of the mirror to appear.

Even so, there was something truly beautiful about this anomaly of nature. Something about it that just made him teem with eagerness. There was a power to it, an addictive quality. Here was a reality that should not be. A reality that went against the natural laws of the universe. And yet, it was an integral part of the universe itself.

_And what am I myself now but another anomaly? I have become something that I am not meant to be..._

Aros forced those thoughts angrily aside. Now was no time for foolish regrets.

No, now was a time for triumph!

A grin once again plastered on his face, Aros took that step forward and crossed over to an unknown world on the other side of the mirror.

* * *

The guards, although they couldn't strike Sora, had managed to keep the shadow busy enough that he hadn't left the bedroom. At least, that was what the guard in the doorway reported. But when Riku entered the room, Kairi just behind him, both their eyes were met with a rather interesting sight.

It was obvious that the shadow was distracted. It hardly seemed to be paying any attention at all to the guards and was easily eluding their careful attacks, almost lazily becoming a shadow and moving around on the ground even when it really wasn't necessary.

No, the shadow's mind was definitely on something other than the guards. But what?

Riku simply stood in the doorway for a moment, his eyes focused on the shadow, trying to determine what its real motive was.

"Riku?" Kairi whispered uncertainly.

Riku shook his head to silence her. He watched as the shadow slid back and forth under the bed, then came up and seemed to head toward the nightstand, dodging the soldiers. It got near it, then turned and rushed across the room to the dresser, then to the closet...

_Is it looking for something? But what would it be looking for in here?_

Kairi gasped. "Riku, this room..." She looked around it in disbelief. "This is a parallel version of Sora's room from the King's Castle!"

"What?" _Sora's room... So he's confused, and he's looking for something that was in his room back at the King's Castle thinking that this is the same room?_ "Kairi, what would Sora have had in his room? What important thing would he have left behind there?"

Kairi shook her head. "I stayed in his room, Riku. He didn't leave anything behind."

"Then why is he..." Riku trailed off as the shadow began heading around the room to the same places it had just visited. It was moving in a rush now, all but ignoring the soldiers, looking desperate because of its fruitless search.

_Ignoring the soldiers..._ Riku gasped. "Kairi, he's ignoring the soldiers! If he's ignoring their hearts, then in this room there must be something greater."

"Something greater?" Kairi echoed, her eyes widening in fear. She knew what Riku meant, but she obviously didn't want to say it.

"The Keyhole," Riku stated.

"You mean...Sora's trying to destroy this world?" Kairi choked out.

Riku knew the only answer he could give her would hurt her even more. So instead he stepped forward purposefully, hardly paying any attention himself to the soldiers who shrunk back from his intense gaze. The shadow turned to him, perhaps noticing that a Keyblade was drawing near. Its yellow eyes seemed to widen, and it became a shadow again, sliding away from Riku...

But this time, it didn't leave the room, and Riku simply followed it around, also ignoring the soldiers who all pulled back and crowded around Kairi and the doorway.

The shadow abruptly lashed out at Riku, but he had been expecting that. Here was his chance. Kairi let out a gasp as Riku allowed the claws of the shadow to dig right into his chest. Simultaneously, he seized this moment of its distraction to bring down the flat of the Golden Keyblade right on its head.

Riku was flooded with an intense cold, his arms growing heavy even as he delivered the blow, and he let out a cry of agony, for an instant wondering if he had just made a dreadful error. Then the shadow crumpled to the ground, its claws withdrawing, and Riku collapsed against the wall.

"Riku!"

Riku turned to see Kairi running toward him, her face full of worry, and her gaze...flicking between him and the Heartless.

He felt just an instant of disappointment and then an instant of satisfaction as she came up to him, holding out a hand to help him up. He took it and straightened, resisting the urge to lean on her. He still felt almost numb from the shock of intense inner cold, but he wasn't going to show such weakness in front of Kairi, not when he was trying to get her to be strong through so much pain. Also, there was no way he could take advantage of the situation like that...

Riku turned his mind from such thoughts, mentally kicking himself for still displaying these feelings that he had tried to bury long ago. He had been around Kairi at the King's Castle and taken it just fine. Why was this old jealousy coming back again now? Was it because Sora was near and because of...what he had become?

But he couldn't let that concern him now. Sora...he had just attacked Sora...

Riku took a step forward, stumbling slightly at the sudden movement. Kairi let out a cry and grabbed his arm, but he sunk down to his knees, Kairi moving with him, so that they were both kneeling beside the prone shadow. "Kairi, can you...sense anything from him?"

Kairi reached out a nervous hand and touched the shadow's head where Riku's Keyblade had connected with its temple. She flinched slightly, stroking the wound gently. "I haven't been able to sense anything from Sora since the beginning. What I can feel is...this awful ache in my heart. Because this isn't Sora, but it should be. It hurts so much..." One hand still stroking the Heartless's head, she put a hand to her heart, and Riku saw a tear trail down her cheek. She then moved her hand forward, reaching toward the Heartless's injured shoulder while still stroking its head with her other hand. She touched the shoulder gently and gave out a little gasp, bringing up fingers now covered in black blood. "Riku...if you cured him, would it wake him up?"

Riku stared down at the Heartless. "I don't think so, especially not if I just focus it on his shoulder." He neglected to add that all he could cast was Cure, nothing stronger, although Kairi was sure to notice if he cast the spell. And he wasn't sure if he could focus it on a particular spot, either. Maybe this wasn't a good idea...

"I can do that."

Both turned, having completely forgotten that Ronald and Draggy were there with them. Ronald had pulled out a rod, and he circled around to stand by the Heartless on the opposite side of Riku and Kairi. "Curaga."

The tinkling of bells, a wash of green magic, and the wound in the shadow's shoulder had closed up completely. The shadow itself didn't stir.

"So, what's next?" the duck asked, looking directly at Kairi and grinning.

Kairi's eyes widened. "Next? It's time for me to...for me to..."

She stroked the Heartless's head a bit more, her other hand having gone back to clutching at her shirt. She choked back a sob, and a flow of tears began cascading down her cheeks, although this time they didn't seem to be from her inner pain. This time, they seemed to be hopeful, happy tears.

"It's time for me to bring him back!"

* * *

At the first word of the Heartless attack, Donald and Goofy had run out of the palace with the army.

Their King Mickey had charged them to follow the keys, but the King Mickey here right now had designated them as captains of squadrons, leaders in the resistance to the Heartless attack, and all the Keyblade Masters had agreed that this was best. Donald and Goofy both had attempted to protest, using Mickey's orders as their reason, although inside both were thinking more of what they had realized when they had left Sora to follow the Keyblade before. It was the Keyblade Masters themselves that were most important, not the Keyblades. And they were worried about the three--especially about Kiru. Even they couldn't fail to notice that there was something going on that was not being explained. Although they were curious, both had determined that it was best not to ask. After all, they really didn't know any of the three, and what comfort could they possibly offer them? The only thing it seemed they had to offer was their presence, but that was the one thing that the Keyblade Masters were refusing.

_"Don't forget about the letters Mickey and Sora left you," Queen Minnie gently reminded them._

_Goofy fished both sheets of paper out of his back pocket at those words. Donald raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised that he had kept them with him, but he chose not to comment. Goofy unfolded the pages, holding them out so Donald could see as well. A couple lines in particular caught the eyes of the two, causing their hearts to sink. _You have your own jobs to do, too. Make sure the kingdom stays safe for me, okay?

_"Mickey told us to protect the kingdom this time...not the Keyblade Masters." Donald sighed._

_"Yes. Because the army needs you two," Minnie stated._

_Donald and Goofy exchanged glances. Sora's journey...the journey of all the Keyblade Masters...it really was out of their hands now, wasn't it?_

_"We've gotta trust King Mickey," Goofy finally declared, "and not let him down!"_

_Donald nodded. And with that nod, their course was set. They would protect the kingdom this time. If that was what King Mickey had wanted, then that had to be for the best._

So, when the attack hit, Donald and Goofy separated from each other, each leading a battalion of soldiers into the battle. This was their journey now.

* * *

Kairi called the White Keyblade to her hand. Her heart was pounding now, the force of it making the pain that lay there even worse. Every second, every heartbeat was a reminder of exactly who it was who was lying before her and how much it really wasn't him at all. _Sora...I can finally bring you back. We'll be together again..._ Kairi drew back the Keyblade with a shaking hand. Would this really do it? If she plunged the White Keyblade into him, would it grow warm? Would she feel his heart, be able to call it back to his body? _Yes. It has to work. If it doesn't...I can't think about if it doesn't._

And Kairi plunged the Keyblade forward, sliding it into the Heartless's chest. She couldn't resist cringing, even though it made no sound and seemed to not even touch the black flesh but simply pass through it.

And then...

...nothing.

"No!" Kairi cried. She stood frozen for a moment, the Keyblade stuck in the unresponsive shadow. Desperately, she concentrated on the Keyblade, willing it to grow warm, trying to sense some pulse from it, no matter how weak.

But it was to no avail. Kairi felt absolutely no sensation whatsoever from the White Keyblade. She withdrew it in defeat and sent it away.

"Kairi, what...?" Riku turned to her, and his eyes filled with concern at the look on her face.

Kairi couldn't help it. She leaned forward, burying herself in his shirt, and started sobbing uncontrollably. "I...can't do it..." she wailed, her voice muffled by the cloth, but Riku seemed to understand her words or at least her meaning. He put his arms around her, holding her tight and letting her cry. "It's okay, Kairi. There must be a way. It just must not be quite as simple as that."

Kairi pulled her head out of his shirt, gazing up at Riku's worried eyes. "But...what else can I do? If not the White Keyblade, then..."

"Maybe it's not the Keyblade that's the problem."

"But...you saw what happened. The Keyblade didn't even react!" Kairi knew her tears were dripping off her face and onto Riku's clothing, but he didn't seem to notice. He just continued holding her.

"Maybe it's because it couldn't find his heart."

"W-what?"

And then Kairi remembered something that Ansem had said back when she had first met him. She whispered the words, her fear growing with each one, "The White Keyblade can restore hearts. And YOU can use the White Keyblade. It would be perfect, if only we knew the location of Sora's heart. If his heart does not..."--she choked back a sob--"survive long enough, you will not be able to restore it."

Riku's eyes widened. "Kairi...where did you hear that?"

"Ansem said that. Does this mean that...that Sora's heart-"

Riku pulled Kairi more tightly against him, moving one hand up to rest in her hair and effectively cutting off her words. "Shh...Kairi, don't think like that. All this means is that we haven't found the location of his heart yet, not that it's gone. We just need to look for it. Then we'll be able to restore his heart."

Kairi buried her face in his shirt again, trying to take comfort from his warmth along with his words. They stayed like that for a moment, Kairi's sobs muffled by Riku's shirt, before Kairi finally turned her head up to him again, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "But...how do we find his heart?"

And as Riku stared down at her, not answering, Kairi's tears began falling faster. The sadness in his eyes was as intense as the sadness in hers.

Finally, Riku declared, "We look for it."

Both of them knew the answer was completely inadequate, but they needed it so much right now that it didn't particularly matter. Kairi pulled back from Riku's embrace, and they both turned to look at the shadow lying next to them. He would no doubt wake up soon. They had to do something so that he didn't get away. If he were a person, they could have simply had him restrained, but since he was a shadow...

"Ronald, is there anything you can do to keep Sora from running away? And maybe still have it possible for us to bring him with us?" Riku questioned.

Ronald frowned, the sight rather comical on his feathered face. "I'm gonna have to think about that one. I'll get all the magicians in the castle working on it right away! Come on, Draggy!"

And suddenly the duck had burst out of the room, the dog following at a bit more leisurely pace.

"What now?" Kairi asked. She reached out and stroked the shadow again, letting out a little sob as she did so. His skin was so cold...

"We wait for Ronald to come up with something and then head out," Riku stated. "He should be able to keep Sora from escaping somehow. Even if we can't take Sora with us, we'd know that he was here-Kairi!?"

Kairi had abruptly jumped to her feet and spun to face the doorway, a hand to her heart and her face consumed by shock.

"Kairi, what is it?"

But Kairi's attention was no longer on Riku. In the doorway stood a frightened looking servant girl, and just behind her was another girl--this one completely identical to Kairi except for her wide green eyes. She stepped into the doorway herself, past the servant girl, who hurried out of the room and back down the hall.

Riku rose as well, standing next to Kairi with a look on his face almost mirroring the look on hers.

And then for a moment the three simply stared at each other, speechless.


	34. Discovery

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 34: Discovery  
**

Riku's shocked cry finally broke the silence. "I-Iraki?"

At the voice, Iraki felt an incredible hope surge within her. She took a step forward, her gaze riveted on the person who had spoken. "Ki-"

But the person before her was a figure dressed all in black, a blindfold pulled low over his eyes as if the light were too bright for him. He was a figure identical to Kiru in every way except his barely-visible aqua eyes--a figure whom she had seen once before in an alley in Crossroads City, attempting to beat Sora to death. She remembered the name that Sora had cried, knew who this person had to be. And he certainly wasn't Kiru. "Riku?"

The sadness in Riku's eyes as he answered surprised Iraki. _It looks...like he knows what I was thinking. Like he knows how desperately I want to find Kiru._

"Yes, I'm Riku."

Iraki nodded numbly. That sad expression... Riku had to have regained his heart if he could show emotion like that. She turned to the other, the girl identical to her but with bright blue eyes. "And Kairi?"

Kairi didn't respond. Instead, she simply sat there staring at Iraki, tears drying on her cheeks, one hand clutching her heart and the other resting on an unconscious shadow behind her.

A shadow behind her... _Is that...is that **Sora**!?_

But Iraki had no time to think about the shadow. Kairi practically jumped to her feet, fresh tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. Her gaze was locked on Iraki, her eyes lighting up with...

That couldn't be...intense _happiness_?

"Sora!" Kairi cried, taking a step toward Iraki, one hand held out toward her. She stopped, seeming to realize that she was acting crazy and apparently confused as to what to do. "You brought Sora with you!" she finally declared, "His heart...I can feel it again! It's faint, but...but it's definitely there! You brought his heart with you!"

Again, Iraki found that she could only stare. _Sora's heart...is with **me**!?_

But she remembered her duel against Aros, remembered the presence that had called out her name, that had made the Silver Keyblade grow warm in her hand, that had allowed her to use it in a way that only its master could have used it.

_So all this time...all this time that I've been failing at everything else, I've been keeping Sora's heart safe?_

"Kairi, do you mean that?" Riku asked, stepping up next to Kairi and staring at Iraki as well. "Sora's heart is inside of her?"

Iraki put an unconscious hand to her heart. Instead of feeling her own skin through her shirt, however, she felt Sora's pendant resting there. She gasped. _It's warm..._

Kairi shook her head. "I don't know for sure. Sora's heart is definitely with her, but it's so faint...like it's...like it's hurt."

Iraki reached up and grabbed the chain of Sora's pendant, drawing the little charm out from underneath her shirt. Riku and Kairi gasped at the sight of it, not only because of what it was, but also because it was glowing with a faint, slightly pulsing light.

"Sora's heart..." Kairi breathed. She stepped up toward Iraki, her eyes fixed on the pendant now. "Iraki, can I..."

Iraki looped the chain over her head and held the pendant out to Kairi, still too numb with shock to really react. "It's yours. I kept it safe to give to you."

"Th-thank you," Kairi choked out, a fresh wave of tears pouring down her cheeks. She reached out and took the pendant, cradling it gently in her hands. Then she turned and rushed over to the shadow, kneeling beside it. She set the pendant on its chest, holding it in place with her left hand. In her right hand, a very familiar object appeared.

_The White Keyblade! Kiru got it to her!_

Another thought struck Iraki then that almost ruined the happiness of the moment.

_But then...where is Kiru?_

"Sora..." Kairi whispered to the shadow, "It's time to bring you back. Finally, I'm going to bring you back!"

_Bring him back? The White Keyblade can do that!?_ As Iraki felt hope surge through her, her worries about Kiru were pushed under the surface--for the moment. After all, Sora might be saved, and it wouldn't have been possible if not for _her_. She had kept Sora's heart safe. All this time spent thinking she was completely worthless, and she had been doing one of the most important things of all.

The White Keyblade pulsed with a dim light in time to the pulsing of the pendant's own dim light. Iraki and Riku both watched, gazes transfixed, as Kairi stabbed the White Keyblade into the shadow's chest, her strike hitting so close to where the pendant lay that the blade was resting against it.

Time seemed to freeze as everyone stared, hoping desperately.

* * *

_An existence of nothing. It wasn't fully darkness, and it wasn't fully reality. It was some strange mixture of both, being flipped back and forth, buffeted by some unknown force between the two._

_Darkness and utter silence._

_Then, a sudden glimpse of the world as if looking through a window. And a presence, a heart, close behind him. A girl._

_He watched her as she traveled, and sometimes, when whatever was allowing him to see reality seemed to have the strongest hold on it, he could connect with her, to hear her thoughts and feelings._

_**Iraki...**_

_But often Sora knew nothing of the outside world. The darkness kept flowing over him in waves, smashing his window to reality to pieces. It kept him from his own memories as well, crushing any attempts at thought. It seemed like he was seeing less and less of reality as time passed._

_But reality flared up quite suddenly once._

_A creature of __midnight__ black, two shining orbs of yellow for eyes. It was leaping through the air, jumping for the girl behind Sora, its claws extended._

_Sora felt the girl try to twist away, but he knew that it was too late, that there was no way for her to keep from being struck by this creature._

_Unless..._

_There was something about the creature. Something felt wrong about it. And it was somehow familiar to Sora, as if he should know it. As if..._

_The realization hit Sora, and immediately he tried to reach out to the creature, to reach out to **himself**. He tried with all his strength to see if he could somehow connect with his body again, if only for an instant._

And for just an instant, Sora's perception shifted, and he was looking at Iraki from within the creature. He relaxed his muscles, simply allowing himself to drop to the ground.

_But that was all that he could do. His energy waned, and he was violently thrust back to his own perception. Darkness rolled over him, and reality shattered._

_And then it was back to more of the same--windows of reality and connections with Iraki's thoughts shattered often by new waves of darkness._

_Sora could feel himself weakening. His glimpses of reality were growing steadily shorter, his connections with Iraki weaker, less frequent. So to conserve his own strength, he quit fighting for a time and instead just floated within the heavy darkness._

_And then he felt something. A strong surge of emotion from Iraki. Despair..._

_**No! She's not giving up, is she?**_

_Sora reached out to her. He felt it vividly as she seemed to notice something of his connection and her feelings of despair suddenly shifted to feelings of desperate determination._

_But Sora didn't just leave her with that. She was fighting, and she was obviously in danger. If there was something he could do...some way he could help..._

Sora tried to strengthen the connection. Reality appeared around him, but this time...his point of view had somehow shifted. He seemed to be higher up. It took him a moment before he understood. He was seeing out of Iraki's eyes. He could almost feel reality around him. And in his hand, in Iraki's hand, was a very familiar weight.

_The Keyblade..._

Not knowing what this would do or if it were even possible, Sora tried to communicate with Iraki, to guide her.

And he could feel her right there with him, shocked, not understanding, but still determined. She was ready to listen to him.

And so Sora--Iraki--cried in a voice that rang of two voices, "Ars Arcanum!"

The two struck at the Heartless again and again, energy crackling around the Keyblade. The group of Heartless that had been big enough to make Iraki despair was now decimated. Sora smiled and, tired now, allowed the connection to break, a new wave of darkness flowing over him.

_Sora didn't know how long he remained in the darkness after that, but he was pulled back to reality quite unexpectedly by another sudden jolt of strong emotion from Iraki. This time it was a terrible sadness and pity that was then made all the more acute by a strong resolve._

_Sora tried immediately to connect with her, hoping he would be in time to help with whatever was happening. His perception shifted again, and he found himself with her._

"Then I have no other choice. Good-bye, _dear _Iraki."

And Aros was plunging the Black Keyblade toward Iraki's chest. "Iraki!" Sora cried desperately, trying to pull the girl from her own emotions and get her to react to the strike. She was sitting on the ground, no weapon drawn, completely vulnerable.

But Iraki did react, and as the Silver and Black Keyblades collided, they both shook--just like they had when Sora had fought Aros before. Sora tensed, knowing now that his connection was similar to the way it had been when he'd led Iraki in fighting the Heartless. He wouldn't let Iraki fight alone. But he couldn't quite make the connection as strong as it had been; he couldn't quite control her movements himself.

_I'm tired..._

He realized then that he wasn't hearing Iraki's thoughts. Although he was apparently sending thoughts and help to her, he wasn't receiving anything back. _That's okay. It only needs to be one-sided._

He tried not to think about what else that meant, though. His connection with Iraki was not nearly as solid as he had thought.

Aros's eyes narrowed. "You would fight me? After always pretending that I mattered to you? You would really reveal yourself as the liar and fake that you are?"

"The Aros that I knew is gone, and I would gladly fight you!" Iraki declared.

Sora couldn't help smiling. Even if he didn't have control, Iraki was determined. Maybe, between that and his help, she _could_ win this fight.

_But when Aros and I fought before, way back on Fate Isles, we seemed just about even. Even with my help, Iraki isn't me. Can she really...?_ If Sora had had a physical body, he would have shaken his head at those thoughts. _No. She believes in herself, and I have to believe in her, too!_

Aros lowered his Keyblade and took a step back. "Then prove it. Get up and duel me."

And without hesitation, Iraki did get up. Sora noticed in surprise that she was settling into his own fighting stance. _Maybe I do have some control over her movements, or can at least influence them. All right then. I'll fight, too, as much as I can!_

Aros scowled, probably recognizing the fighting stance as well. "I think I understand now," he stated, "But if you think he's going to help you, remember who defeated him. I'm not sure where that heart of his is, but it can't save you. Nothing can."

"It doesn't matter. I won't just give up!"

"Then your destruction is your own choice!" Aros charged toward Iraki, Black Keyblade held high, and struck at her with all his might.

Iraki blocked with a speed and skill that Sora knew she didn't have, the two Keyblades rebounding off each other. Both Sora and Iraki were momentarily stunned by Iraki's achievement, and by Aros's face, he was as well. _So I am guiding her. Great!_

_Sora...thank you. I won't give up fighting, no matter how bad it gets. I won't abandon my mission, whatever it takes. Whatever happens to me!_

Sora smiled. So he _could_ still hear her if she talked directly to him. And if his fighting skills didn't win this duel for her, her own determination just might.

Aros struck again, and Iraki blocked again, the Keyblades rebounding. Aros smirked.

Iraki struck this time, her blow reflecting a strength that was not her own. Aros blocked, but the Silver Keyblade got very close to him before the weapons rebounded.

"Sora's influence IS helping you. I suppose I should keep in mind that it's not you I'm fighting. Maybe I should actually try a bit."

Iraki's eyes narrowed, and Sora knew his own would be doing the same. _Don't let him get to you. I might be guiding you, but you're the one who's in control!_

After sending that thought, however, Sora knew with a strange certainty that Iraki hadn't received it. He was _really_ starting to tire, feeling like he was ready to collapse.

Or, more likely, sink back into that sea of darkness.

_No! I have to at least keep leading her movements. Even if our connection is weakening, I have to keep doing that!_

And while Sora was trying to bring what remained of his strength to the surface, Iraki pulled the Silver Keyblade up to block Aros's next strike.

But Sora knew when she did it that she was too early. And so did Aros. He struck low, and Iraki jumped backwards, the Black Keyblade catching her across the stomach.

Sora felt just a faint echo of pain that seemed to disappear immediately. _I can't feel the outside world very well. That's not surprising. But her thoughts are the one thing the connection has always let me hear. Is guiding her making me so tired that I can't even handle that now? Am I...that close to being completely submerged in darkness?_

Suddenly the scene before Sora's eyes began to blur, and he doubted that the blurring had anything to do with Iraki. _I'm...at the end of my strength._

Iraki shifted back into Sora's fighting stance, and Sora strained to keep the connection from breaking. He had to keep helping her. He couldn't just leave her alone against Aros!

Aros struck again, and Iraki blocked, the Keyblades rebounding fiercely. Another strike, another block. Then Aros took a step back, coming toward Iraki with a hard blow obviously meant to create a rebound that would force the Keyblade out of her grip.

Sora desperately threw his heart, his essence, whatever it was that he was now, out to Iraki's hand, trying to control it if he could. He couldn't let her lose that Keyblade, he couldn't!

Iraki jumped back as she blocked, but the rebound still almost forced the Silver Keyblade from her grasp. However, she did manage to hold on to it.

_But Sora knew no more after that. The blurry scene suddenly faded to black, and a wave of darkness washed over Sora, suffocating him. That last effort had been too much. His energy was spent._

_**No! I have to keep helping her...I have to!**_

_His perception faded to darkness. And this time, it stayed that way. Sora kept weakening more and more as time continued to pass. He knew nothing but darkness and a horrible fatigue that was as frightening as the darkness itself. Fragments of thoughts made it through the pressure of the darkness--all worries. Because if he really was what he seemed to be, if he really was just his heart, and he went to sleep, the darkness would devour him, wouldn't it?_

_**I can't...give up...**_

_But as the darkness remained, unchanging, he couldn't help but feel that his struggle was futile. And when it was on the verge of ending, Sora just about ready to give up forever and be taken on the waves of eternal sleep that were nonexistence, a distant white light reached out to him, a dim speck of brightness breaking through the darkness impossibly far from where Sora was._

_His exhausted mind could think only one thought at the sight. **Kairi?**_


	35. The White Keyblade Master

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 35: The White Keyblade Master  
**

Nothing was happening. Kairi gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowed in concentration, and kept her gaze riveted on the shadow's chest, where Keyblade rested against the pendant and both pulsed with the same faint glow.

When she had saved Kiru, she had been able to stab the Keyblade through his heart itself and transfer her energy to him through that connection. But something told her that she shouldn't dare to stab into her charm. Sora's heart was so weak that a second's contact with the open air and it could be gone forever. How it had been surviving in the lucky charm at all was a mystery. A heart was not meant to live within an inanimate object.

_But my lucky charm was very important for Sora and me. It was our promise. It meant that he was supposed to come back to me. It was...a symbol of our love._

Kairi concentrated on the White Keyblade, warm and pulsing with that faint light. _I have to bring his heart out from my lucky charm and directly into the Keyblade. I can't do anything for it until the two are connected._

But while everything she had done with the Keyblade for Kiru had seemed almost natural, something felt odd about the feat she was currently trying to pull. _It's going to take careful timing and a ton of energy. And with his heart as weak as it is, I'm going to need a lot more energy to heal it and then more to send it back into his body. Plus, he's already a Heartless and has been one for a while, and he's injured. This...this is going to require using the White Keyblade to the full extent of its powers. And I don't know if I have enough energy to be able to do that._

A moment passed as Kairi debated, thinking desperately, calling on her inner knowledge of how to use the White Keyblade, trying to determine if there was any other way.

A slight pressure on her shoulder momentarily pulled her attention from her dilemma. She looked up to find Riku standing behind her, a comforting hand resting on her shoulder. He smiled at her encouragingly. "Kairi, I believe in you," he whispered.

"I do, too," Iraki piped up quietly from behind him. "Kiru gave that Keyblade to you for a reason."

_Kiru..._ Kairi had to choke back a sob, and she felt Riku stiffen slightly before relaxing again and giving her shoulder a little encouraging squeeze. _That's right. Iraki doesn't know. We'll have to tell her, but I can't now. This is my time to help Sora. Kiru...he saved us so that I would have this chance! Riku and Iraki are counting on me. And Kiru...he believed in me, too._

Kairi looked back down at the Heartless again, her resolve renewed. _I don't care if it takes all the energy I have. I can do this. Sora, I'm going to save you! I promise!_

* * *

Aros stepped out into a cavern that was very familiar. For a moment he was enraged, thinking that his adversaries had discovered a way to do something he hadn't thought possible, but then, as it sunk in that everything here was flipped and that this was the other side of the mirror, he realized where he really was. _So this is __Traverse__Town__. Well, it really doesn't matter._ Aros turned back to the mirror, ready to cross through again and trusting that whatever was responsible for bringing the Heartless to their desired destination would do the same for him. _It probably has to do with the darkness--that's about all the Heartless are--so just stepping through should get me to the Sovereign's Palace._

Aros reached out a hand and touched the surface of the mirror, watching as the ripples spread out and the mural disappeared, turning to a surface that was as clear as water.

The mirror was such a beautiful anomaly.

_There's no time to waste right now. I have to find Sora before anyone else does._

Aros sighed slightly, still staring at the mirror, then finally shook his head. _What am I doing? I shouldn't be wasting time like this. I'm this close to getting Sora. I shouldn't waste another minute!_

And with that thought, he stepped through the mirror again, trusting the darkness inside him to take him where he wanted to go.

Aros emerged on sandy ground in a large, walled-in area. Looking across the open space, he could see tall, wooden double doors with three pillars on each side of them and two statues framing them. The statues were of warriors dressed in an odd, fancy sort of armor with their swords crossed. A lightning bolt pattern ran across the doors themselves.

"No!!" Aros cried. He had no idea what world this was, but one place it definitely was _not_ was the Sovereign's Palace.

_So I can't just expect my location to be controlled when I step through the mirror. So then how does it work out for the Heartless!?_

Aros called the Black Keyblade to his hand and began smacking the sandy ground savagely. He could care less about how the mirror worked for the Heartless. What was _he_ supposed to do now? How could he find Sora when he had no idea how to get to the right world?

_I should look around this world, at least. There's no telling what I might find here. Perhaps the mirror has a specific criteria for where it sends me. Maybe I'm here for a reason._

Aros rolled his eyes. _A reason behind everything? Fate? I doubt it._

But he did step forward into the sandy area, looking behind him to find that the mirror was contained in a tapestry on this world. Seeing the heading of "Pluto Cup," his eyes lit up. _So...this is a tournament arena._

_I don't have time for a tournament._

Aros scowled, but the thought simply repeated itself in his head. _It's true, though,_ he admitted grudgingly, _There's no way I have time for a delay like that. I have to figure out how to get to Sora, even if it means random world-hopping._

Stepping a little farther forward and past a pillar, Aros tore his gaze from the tapestry and attempted to get a good look at the half of this area from which he had entered. There was an identical set of double doors on this side but minus the statues. _An exit..._

Some part of Aros seemed to be stirring at the sight of these doors. He suddenly felt very curious. If this world were based on a tournament arena, what exactly would be outside those doors? Just another part of the world--a city perhaps--or were those doors the exit to the world itself?

_And so what if they are the exit? I don't have any way to travel between worlds. Wait..._

Aros's eyes widened as he remembered. He had read in Ansem's Report about the golden road connecting the worlds on this side of the mirror. If a person followed the road while thinking about where they wanted to end up, then they would go there. _So I might not need to work the mirror after all..._

Aros dismissed the Black Keyblade and ran for the doors, pushing them open eagerly.

His eyes were met with an incredible sight. Just as he had suspected, outside these doors lay a road paved in gold. It seemed to be floating, suspended on nothing. The air around it looked as if it were made of swirls of color.

Excited now, Aros ran out onto the road without the slightest hesitation. _The Sovereign's Palace! Take me to the Sovereign's Palace!_

It looked like his plans weren't ruined after all--just delayed. He should reach the Sovereign's Palace and Sora very soon.

* * *

Kairi was ready to pour every ounce of energy she had into her effort to get Sora back. She concentrated with all her might, even the feeling of Riku's comforting hand on her shoulder fading into the background. She kept her eyes locked on the charm, her mind in tune with the faint pulsing light that both the charm and the White Keyblade shared. _Right when it pulses...that's when I'll call his heart out of the charm in the exact spot where my charm's touching the Keyblade. That way, his heart will go right into the Keyblade without hardly touching the air at all._

And Kairi watched as the charm pulsed again and again, trying to slow her breathing, to calm down, to prepare for that instant that would determine everything. If she couldn't get his heart right into the Keyblade, then...

_But I will move it there. I will!_

She waited a moment more. She couldn't put this off forever. With every pulse, Sora's heart was coming closer to completely running out of energy.

_Now!_

Kairi concentrated on the Keyblade, connecting with it, using it to pull on that faint, pulsing light within the charm.

And then she felt the terrible instant in which the light came free of the charm, its faint pulsing suddenly turning into an erratic flicker of light in the air as the pulse in the Keyblade did the same. Then the light disappeared completely.

Faintly she heard Riku and Iraki both gasp behind her, but her mind was too busy to think about them now. She stayed focused on the Keyblade, waiting for some sign. _Come on, Sora. You have to have survived that. After all this, you can't have lost now._

And there it was. The Keyblade began to pulse again, although even more weakly than before. But it was enough. Sora's heart had survived, and it was inside the Keyblade now. Kairi heaved a huge sigh of relief, slumping forward slightly. Riku caught her with his arm, supporting her. She hadn't realized how much energy that move had taken until just now. Her whole body felt heavy with exhaustion. But she wasn't done yet. Not nearly.

She continued to concentrate on the Keyblade, focusing on the energy inside it that she knew came from within herself. The Keyblade began to glow white as Kairi transferred the energy into Sora's heart, feeling with relief as its pulse grew a little stronger, but noting with horror how terribly difficult this was and how exhausted she already felt. She knew for a fact by now that Riku's arm was the only thing holding her up. She stopped. Sora's heart wasn't pulsing any more strongly than it had been before she'd moved it out of the charm, but she still had to move his heart to inside of him. She couldn't risk not having enough energy to do that.

_I'll just have to finish healing his heart after it's already in his body. It'll be a little harder to do that way, but he's a shadow right now, and injured. It won't be as easy to return his heart to his body as it was with Kiru, and I'm already almost out of energy._

So Kairi willed the heart within the White Keyblade to slide to its tip, trying to send it to its rightful place within the body of the shadow. There was resistance, however. The skin of the shadow--a creature always taking and devouring the light of others--seemed repulsed by this particular light. It was as Kairi had expected; his body was rejecting his own heart. It had been in the darkness for so long that it didn't know how to go back.

Kairi concentrated, willed as hard as she could, trying to push that heart into that cold, black skin. _Come on, Sora! You have to come back to us! You have to regain your heart! Please...please!_

And all in an instant it had worked. The heart disappeared again, gone from within the White Keyblade. Kairi heaved a huge sigh of relief, falling forward even farther, winding up draped over Riku's arm. She didn't even bother removing the White Keyblade from Sora's body, simply willed it to disappear. She could feel her eyes sliding shut now, but she willed them to stay open. She had to stay conscious now. She had to make sure it had worked, to be ready to try to fix it if anything went wrong.

She had to see him when he finally returned.

Bright sparkles of light began to appear around the body of the shadow, condensing and growing brighter until it was completely obscured. Then there was a huge flash of light, and all those present had to shield their eyes.

And as the light cleared and the three looked on in awe, they found that before them was no longer a shadow. Now it was an 18-year-old boy dressed in red, spiky brown hair falling in his face.

Sora started to open his eyes, but he immediately closed them, grimacing. "Hi everybody," he said, his voice seeming to be nothing more than a wisp. He smiled weakly, his eyes remaining closed.

"Turn off the lights!" Riku ordered the guards in the doorway. They seemed to be too stunned to react, but finally one took a step forward and hit the switch.

The room grew dark, and Sora attempted to open his eyes again, but even in this darkness he squinted fiercely. It had been a long time since he had been exposed to light.

"Iraki, can you help me?" Riku asked, turning to the girl behind him. He gestured to the barely-conscious Kairi that he was now holding resting against his side, and Iraki nodded, kneeling behind Kairi and using an arm to hold her against Riku.

Riku untangled his own arm from around Kairi and reached up to his blindfold, untying its knot and removing it from around his eyes. He was adjusted enough to the light by now that it was no problem for him to be in this room without it. Leaning forward slightly, trying not to cause Kairi to topple over, Riku lifted Sora's head up with one hand and tied the blindfold around it, pulling the cloth down low until it completely obscured Sora's eyes. He lay Sora's head back down and put his arm back around Kairi. Iraki removed her arm and moved back, feeling that this was a private moment of reunion.

Sora opened his eyes again slowly, blinking and squinting a bit but seeming to be able to see. He grinned now, and although the grin was weak, Kairi could feel her heart pounding at the sight of it. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Sora..." she breathed, "Welcome back!"

"Thank you, Kairi," came Sora's thin voice in reply. His grin seemed to be flooded with warmth, focused right up at her. "Thank you for saving me."

Kairi just nodded, speechless, and let out a sob as her tears began to pour down her cheeks.

"Riku..." Sora continued, shifting his gaze to his old friend. "It's good to see you back. Don't...don't worry about what happened, okay?"

Riku felt tears coming to his own eyes at these words. This was Sora for sure. Only he could make so light of Riku's trying to pummel him to death with a lead pipe. Only he could forgive so easily, be so ready to accept his old friend back after all that Riku had done. "If you agree not to pull another stunt like this, it's a deal," Riku responded sternly.

Sora's grin widened. "I'll try not to."

Kairi let out another sob, suddenly jerking her body forward out of Riku's grasp. She collapsed on top of Sora, wrapping her arms around him. For a second Sora was surprised, but then he smiled contentedly, weakly bringing his arms up around her and holding her against him.

"I missed you," Kairi sobbed, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too," Sora replied.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more for your heart. I'll heal it soon. I just...need to rest a little first."

"It's okay, Kairi. You've done enough already."

Kairi let out another sob. "Thank you, Sora," she breathed, her voice almost sounding as strained with exhaustion as his, "Thank you for coming back."

She let out a deep sigh then, and, with her head resting against Sora's chest, their arms still wrapped around each other, she grew limp, passing out from exhaustion. Despite her condition, her face reflected a serenity that no one had seen from her in four long years.

Sora smiled down at her, then shifted his gaze up to the others. "I'm a little tired, too," he admitted, smiling in a way that tried to make light of his weak condition. "Thank you for everything you've done for me. Riku. Iraki."

Iraki's eyes widened, and she leaned forward from behind Riku, for the first time feeling a part of this reunion. "Thank you, Sora," she whispered timidly, "Thank you for helping me!"

Sora grinned. "It was the least I could do. You kept me safe all this time."

At that Iraki couldn't help but smile.

Sora's grin fell then, and he took in a deep breath. "I...I'll talk more later," he said weakly, "Make sure Kairi doesn't hurt herself trying to help me, okay?"

"I will," Riku assured him, "Rest for a while."

Sora nodded slightly, his head barely seeming to be able to move. His arms slid from around Kairi to rest on the ground at his sides. "It's good...to be back...in the light," he breathed, and with that, he lost consciousness.

Riku stood and picked up Kairi first, bringing her from the floor over to the bed. Iraki, realizing his intent, hurried over and pulled back the sheets. Riku set Kairi down gently on the bed, then went back and picked up Sora with the same care. The boy may have been eighteen now, but he still retained some of his boyish scrawniness and hadn't gained nearly as much height as Riku had. As Riku lifted Sora, the lucky charm fell from Sora's chest to the ground. Iraki noticed and ran over to retrieve it. Riku nodded at her in thanks and brought Sora over to the bed, setting him gently next to Kairi and covering them both with the blanket. "When she wakes up, she'll probably start trying to heal him right away," Riku commented. He was smiling slightly, his gaze focused on the two. But his smile crumbled as he noticed how still Sora was. "He's in really bad shape." Riku fought back the flood of memories that this sight brought. Sora's condition now was like Kiru's had been then. No, it was almost definitely even worse.

"She did it, though," Iraki broke into his thoughts, her voice a bit quiet, almost nervous, "She saved him."

Riku nodded, the smile coming back to his face. Sora's current condition really wasn't the important thing, after all. The important thing was that he was back. Sora had been saved.

"Where should I put this?" Iraki asked, holding up the lucky charm.

Riku looked down at the two, thinking. "Set it between them," he finally replied, "They'll straighten it out."

Iraki smiled slightly, seeming to understand, and set the lucky charm carefully on the bed directly between Sora and Kairi.

"Let's let them sleep," Riku stated. He started toward the doorway, from which the crowd of curious guards quickly dispersed, probably headed back to report to Queen Winnie. When Iraki didn't follow immediately, he turned and offered his hand to her. "Come on. We'll just wait in the hall outside for them to wake up."

Iraki looked down at his hand uncertainly, then took it, and Riku led her out of the room, turning back to shut the door behind him.

* * *

A figure's eyes opened as it awoke from a deep sleep. It blinked for a second at the ceiling of the still-unfamiliar room. "Sora's back," the figure breathed. "He's finally back."

A slight smile touched the figure's lips, and then the figure's eyes slid closed again as it fell immediately back to sleep, more relaxed now than in quite a while.


	36. The Truth Revealed

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 36: The Truth Revealed  
**

"Still nothing?" Mickey asked.

Ansem sighed, shaking his head and opening his eyes. "I can't reach her. She's still awake, and she's been up since early this morning."

"The battle must be intense then."

Ansem grimaced, his eyes full of worry. He fixed his gaze on the doorway, looking as if he wanted to remove the barrier they had worked so hard to create. "I don't think I'll try to contact her again. She wouldn't be able to wake up while I was contacting her, even if she were attacked. I think that could be too much of a risk to take, just as it is for the other Keyblade Masters."

Mickey nodded. "That's a good idea." Ansem nodded slightly as well, still staring worriedly at the door, and Mickey added, "She knows how important she is, Ansem. She'll take care of herself."

Ansem finally turned to Mickey then, his face hopeful. "You really think so? That she'd know enough not to do anything too reckless?"

Mickey almost grimaced himself. He'd met her before, and even from just his brief experiences he knew enough about her personality to know reckless was practically her middle name. "You're just going to have to have faith in her."

Ansem sighed again, apparently noticing that Mickey was avoiding giving a real answer to his question. Then his eyes suddenly grew wide, and he stiffened. He closed his eyes and simply stood there, not moving.

"Ansem?" Mickey ventured nervously.

Ansem shook his head slightly, and Mickey snapped his mouth shut, watching as Ansem continued to stand silently, his eyes closed.

They stayed like that for a while, Ansem seemingly frozen in place and Mickey standing still himself, his gaze riveted on the scientist. He had a guess as to what might be happening, and if he were right, then he could understand why Ansem was doing this. It was a good idea, really. Although it did mean revealing that Ansem had noticed what was going on.

Finally Ansem let out a sigh and opened his eyes. "Sorry, Mickey. I didn't want him to see that we've shut ourselves up in here."

Mickey nodded. "I suspected as much. But now he knows that you can tell when he's there."

Ansem frowned, looking down worriedly. "I realize that, but I think it was important this time. If he had seen that we were shut up in the lab, he would have sent the Heartless here specifically."

"That's true."

The two were silent for a moment, both lost in thought. "Ansem?" Mickey finally asked.

"Yes?"

"Did you get any more information from him?"

"He was mostly just angry," Ansem replied thoughtfully, "After all, he couldn't help but realize that I knew he was there and that I was trying to block him."

"So no clues as to how he's controlling the Heartless or if he's somehow connected to Aros?"

Ansem shook his head. "He's been very careful about his own thoughts. I picked up on his plans for the Heartless attack against the King's Castle, but that's the only real information I've managed to get from him. He was probably aware from the beginning that there was a possibility that I would be able to see his thoughts when he looks into mine."

"And you still have no idea what you can do about him?"

Ansem sighed. "If I understood how he was doing this in the first place, how this connection has been forged between us, I might be able to do something about it. But as it is I still can't see how this has happened. I don't understand it at all."

"And I'm guessing you still don't want the Keyblade Masters to know?"

Ansem looked up at Mickey then, shaking his head vigorously. He frowned, biting his lip. "I don't want to hide things from them, but what good could come out of telling them about this? If they knew that he was a part of this, and even worse, that he's trying to use me to spy on them..." He shook his head. "I can't let them find out about this, Mickey. It's the same as it was when I decided not to tell them before. I need the Keyblade Masters to trust me. This isn't my fault, but it would make them not trust me. That's why I can't tell them. I'm not...I'm not trying to deceive them."

Mickey frowned slightly, not saying anything. He and Ansem had had this conversation once before, right before going to the King's Castle. He had thought that Ansem had managed to put this particular worry out of his mind since then, but, considering Ansem's personality, Mickey realized that he shouldn't be surprised that "hiding something" in this manner would be eating at Ansem inside. Not to mention the worries that arose out of the situation itself...

"You don't think I'm...deceiving them, do you?" Ansem asked earnestly.

Mickey shook his head quickly. "You're being prudent. Neither Kairi nor Riku was particularly inclined to trust you, after all. This is for the best."

"For the best..." Ansem nodded slowly, as if trying to affirm it to himself. The worry in his face didn't seem to decrease in the least bit.

"So back to waiting then?" Mickey asked, trying to pull Ansem from his thoughts.

"Hm? Oh yes, I suppose so."

Mickey sighed slightly at Ansem's distracted tone. This new development had given him something to ponder over and worry about. It looked like there wouldn't be much more conversation between the two of them for a while.

Mickey turned a nervous gaze to the door now. Actually, he realized, he should be hoping it stayed quiet for a while. Due to the extensive amount of time Ansem tended to spend in his lab, it was equipped with everything necessary for them to stay there even for a number of days. And if the Heartless got in... Well, they just weren't going to let that happen. They couldn't give the enemy access to all of Ansem's work. They couldn't.

Although, considering the enemy's access to Ansem's mind, Mickey couldn't help but fear that all their precautions would be worthless in the end anyway.

_I trust you, Ansem. But what if the enemy does get stronger? What if he discovers how to do something beyond just seeing through your eyes and listening to your thoughts? What would happen then?_

* * *

Aros stopped short. He had just been hit by a wave of irritation, and, considering that he had been doing nothing but walking down the unchanging golden road for the past couple hours, he doubted it was really his own emotion. _What's wrong?_

_He knew I was there. He tried to block me!_

Aros raised an eyebrow at the indignant thoughts. He had suspected that the irritation had to do with the other watching through Ansem's eyes. So, the other did get caught off guard now and again. This was the perfect opportunity for Aros to wave that in his face. _I have the darkness now. I thought that was supposed to solve all my problems?_

He could almost hear the other sputtering at that remark. _It is still advantageous to have a spy on their end._

Aros shrugged, knowing the other would be able to feel the gesture even though he couldn't see it. Now that the wave of irritation was more confined to the feelings of the other, Aros was feeling rather apathetic, and he didn't bother to lash out with his usual anger.

_I did find out where Ansem is._

Aros perked up slightly at that, although his response was still strangely emotionless. _And?_

There was amusement in the voice of the other, although irritation still underlay it. _See the advantages of a spy? Ansem has blockaded himself into his laboratory. The mouse king is with him._

Aros didn't bother responding, simply reached out to the Heartless and sent a large group specifically to Ansem's laboratory. _Thinks he can hide from me, does he? Well, that'll take care of him._

He could feel the satisfaction of the other, but then he felt it turn to pensiveness. _I need to rest._

_What!?_ Aros scowled, but he could feel his fatigue just as plainly as the other could. It was the reason for his strange apathy, for being much less emotional than usual. "But I can't risk someone else getting Sora!" he cried, not realizing that he was doing it out loud until he heard his voice echo strangely around him. He looked up at the swirls of color, wondering exactly what sort of material this area was made up of that it threw sound around like that. Then he realized that the thought had to have come from the other and promptly tried to push it out of his mind.

The other apparently managed to pull his mind from that subject as well, as he immediately went back to trying to persuade Aros to sleep. _I can't risk passing out from exhaustion. I'm not as careless as Iraki is._

Aros's eyes flashed. The other had touched a nerve on purpose, but Aros didn't pick up on the manipulation. _Fine. I guess I do feel like getting a little sleep._

He could feel the other's grin, but he ignored it and simply sat down in the middle of the road. He took off his jacket and balled it up, trying to make sure no zippers were sticking out on top. Putting it on the ground behind him, he laid his head on his jacket and stared up at the swirls of color. In his mind he ran over plans of how to punish Sora, what to do when he finally could show off Sora's state to the other Keyblade Masters, and exactly what it would feel like to send those four from Crossroads City and each of the other Keyblade Masters into darkness individually.

Except Iraki. He couldn't picture plunging her into darkness.

_I'm just too tired to think about it. She's no different from any of the others. I'll force her into the darkness just like the rest of them. And enjoy it, too!_

Aros let his mind wander over pleasant thoughts of worlds being plunged into darkness. Of setting billions of people free from the horrors of their lives. Of making everything _perfect_.

And, finally, after a long and eventful day indeed, Aros fell asleep right in the middle of the path between worlds.

* * *

"Riku!" Ronald called, rushing up the hall with Draggy and a group of various other humanoid animals and humans in tow. The robes worn by the group betrayed their occupation as magicians. "Riku, we may have figured out a way to..." Ronald trailed off, stopping short before Iraki and Riku, who was just shutting the door to the room. He was squinting slightly in the light of the hall, but he was sure his eyes would adjust soon. And there was someone else right now who needed his blindfold much more than he did.

Riku couldn't help grinning slightly at the oncoming entourage. "Sorry, Ronald, but there's no need anymore. Kairi brought him back."

The eyes of everyone in the group, including Draggy, suddenly grew very wide, and then excited grins broke out on all the faces.

"So Sora's okay now?" Ronald burst out.

Riku frowned, not sure how much to relay. "He's still in pretty bad shape, but he's back. He and Kairi are resting right now." Riku decided that was saying enough. There was no need for him to explain to Ronald about how weak Sora's heart was right now. And hopefully that weakness wouldn't last for long anyway, although that completely depended on Kairi. But, of course, Riku had great faith in her. _Just as long as she doesn't hurt herself. But neither Sora or I would let her do that._

"Great!" Ronald exclaimed.

They stood for a moment looking at each other before Draggy finally spoke up. "Ronald, you should dismiss the magicians and report this to the queen."

"Oh yeah! I was just about to do that." Ronald looked a little sheepish. "Thanks, Riku. If you'll keep an eye on them, someone will check in with you periodically. And wait...you said Kairi's resting?" He frowned at Iraki.

"This is Iraki, another Keyblade Master," Riku stated simply, "She just recently arrived on this world, too. A servant led her to us. It was because of her that Kairi brought Sora back. She found Sora's missing heart." Riku turned to Iraki as he said this and was glad to see a slight smile touch her lips. She seemed so sad and nervous, and Riku couldn't possibly forget that he had a promise to keep.

"Oh. That's great!" Ronald exclaimed, "All right then. Someone will come to check in soon." He frowned slightly, looking a little confused and as if he wanted a better explanation than what Riku had given him, but he seemed to brush off his questions for the moment, turning to the magicians instead. "Dismissed!"

The group immediately dispersed, and then Ronald and Draggy headed off together, presumably going to the Meeting Room to report to the queen.

Riku and Iraki stood in silence for a few moments. Riku looked over at her again, but her head was down now, her eyes locked on the ground. She really did seem very sad.

_So she's already depressed about something. I wonder what happened? And...and no one's even told her about Kiru yet. She's probably wondering about him. She needs to know. I should..._

Riku opened his mouth to speak but found that the words wouldn't come. Finally it was Iraki who broke the oppressive silence. "Riku?" Her voice was small and nervous, and she kept her gaze riveted on the ground.

Riku tried to swallow the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat. "Yes?"

"I...well, I see that Kiru gave the White Keyblade to Kairi. And I...I was wondering if you could tell me where he is now. Why...why isn't he with you?" Iraki brought her gaze up then, and at the look in her eyes--desperate hope intermingled with desperate fear--Riku found that it was suddenly hard for him to breathe.

"Iraki...Kiru...he..." Riku couldn't remember ever feeling this tongue-tied in his life. He wanted desperately to look away from Iraki's eyes, but he forced himself not to. He took a deep breath and stated in as level a voice as he could, "Kiru saved Kairi and I both from an army of Heartless. What he did was one of the bravest things I have ever seen in my life. But he was injured badly. Badly enough that his heart stopped and he passed through the mirror with the Heartless. We...don't know what happened to him after that."

Iraki's eyes grew wide. It tore at Riku's heart to watch the multitude of emotions that passed over her face. Shock...disbelief...horror...grief... "No..." Suddenly a flood of tears was pouring down her cheeks. "Are you trying to tell me...are you trying to tell me that Kiru's _dead_!?" She shook her head violently, crystal tears flying through the air from the movement. "No...no...no! Kiru's not dead!"

"Iraki..."

Iraki looked at Riku, her eyes pleading with him to say something, to tell her it wasn't true, to give her some sort of hope. And then she blinked, staring at him strangely, her eyes filling with desperation. "He can't be dead. You're Kiru. Riku lost his heart, and you look just like Kiru. This is all just a sick joke, right? A new sense of humor? You're...just trying to surprise me, right?"

And Iraki suddenly lunged forward, throwing herself against Riku. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her head against his shirt. "Kiru..."

Riku's eyes widened. He grew rigid, unable to react, and for a terrible moment he wondered if Iraki's mind had snapped at the news.

But then just as abruptly she seemed to come to her senses and recoiled, backing up against the opposite wall, burying her face in her hands. She shook her head violently again. "Riku...sorry...I...I just..." She sunk to her knees, racked by sobs. Her voice came out shrilly now, choked by tears. "He just can't be dead! He _can't _be! If he's dead, then I..." Her voice grew quiet then, coming out in a frightened puff of breath. "Then I'm nothing..."

Riku's eyes widened as Iraki lowered her hands from her face and brought them down to clutch her chest. Her face contorted as if in physical pain, and her hands tore at her shirt over her heart. _Is she...? She can't be..._ Riku ran over to her, dropping to the ground beside her and reaching out an arm to put around her shoulders. Iraki recoiled violently from it, sliding along the wall away from him. She continued clutching at her chest and bowed her head, her hair now shielding her face from view. Sobs racked her body.

"Iraki..." Riku started nervously. What could he possibly say to her? He didn't even know her, and if she were really...if something were really happening to her heart, if her heart were really hurt somehow, or if...or if she herself were trying to destroy it in her grief... _what could he possibly say to her?_ "Iraki, I promised Kiru that if anything happened to him, I would take care of you. He saved me, first bringing me back from the darkness, then keeping me from losing my heart again in that Heartless attack, and all he wanted in return was for me to take care of you. He just wanted to make sure that you were safe. So...I'll do anything I possibly can for you. Kiru wanted you to be happy and safe. I thought you should know that."

Iraki continued sobbing for a moment, but then she finally turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were already red from her continuous flow of tears, and pain was still visible in her features. "I don't...deserve anything from anyone. Thank you, Riku. But you should just leave me."

"Just leave you!?" Riku cried. He realized that he was no longer thinking about what he was saying, but he couldn't believe that she would say a thing like that, and he couldn't stop himself from reacting. "Just leave you to do what? Fall to the darkness? I've been there, Iraki, and trust me, it's not an experience you want to have! You think you hate yourself now, just wait until you come back after that. And yes, you just might wind up coming back, even if you try to use it as an escape. You're a White Keyblade Master, aren't you? If Kairi's one, then you must be one, too. And even if not, we need your help! You just saved Sora. You _saved_ him! How can you expect me to just leave the person who did that to selfishly throw herself to the darkness!?"

There was silence then aside from Iraki's slight sniffling. Riku hardly even realized that her tears had suddenly stopped. She seemed almost to be frozen in place, staring at him in shock. Her hands were still against her chest, but she was no longer clutching. "Riku..." she breathed. Then her tears came pouring down again, and she threw her arms out, lunging forward and falling against Riku again. She sobbed into his shirt. For an instant he began to stiffen at the contact, but then he wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you, Riku. Thank you..."

"It's okay, Iraki. I'm gonna be here for you. I'll do everything I can. I promise." And Riku held her then like he had held Kairi before. He felt strange doing this; his mind kept wanting to tell him that this was Kairi. _No. She might look like her, but she isn't. I'm not doing this because of that. I'm doing this because she's Iraki. I told Kiru that I would take care of her. And I will. I will. I'm not doing this because she looks like Kairi..._

"Thank you..." Iraki murmured again, "Thank you..." She let out another sob, and Riku continued to hold her. For a long time, the two stayed that way, leaning against the wall in the deserted hallway, Iraki in Riku's arms, her face buried in his shirt, as her tears continued to fall. But as her sadness poured from her body in waves, the cold feeling in her heart was slowly receding, being replaced by the warmth that Riku was freely giving her.


	37. Arrival

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 37: Arrival  
**

The queen found Riku sitting against the wall with Iraki, asleep, leaning against him. She smiled slightly at the sight, but there was business to attend to. "Riku?" she whispered, stopping just in front of him. The two guards and two maids who were with her stopped a bit behind her.

Riku brought his head up to look at Winnie, and the queen could clearly see the fatigue in his eyes. Chances were he was attempting to hold out until Kairi and Sora woke up. _Well, I'll have to make sure to get that silly idea out of his head,_ the queen thought decidedly. "I got the report from Ronald and Draggy," she stated, "These guards will be stationed here in case anything happens, and these maids are going to prepare the two rooms across from Sora and Kairi's room for you two." She gestured to the four behind her.

The maids nodded respectfully to Riku, turned, and headed off to the two rooms. The guards nodded to him as well before stationing themselves on each side of the door to Sora's and Kairi's room.

"No need. I'm going to stay here and watch the room," Riku stated flatly.

"No, you're going to get some sleep," Queen Winnie responded in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

Riku looked ready to protest, but then he glanced at Iraki, frowned, and said nothing. The queen frowned as well. His behavior made it seem like he'd acquiesced because he was worried an argument would wake Iraki. _Hmm... This is surprising. She's from this side of the mirror. And I thought Mickey had mentioned that Iraki and Kiru...? Very surprising indeed._

The maids came out of the rooms then, and Riku carefully pulled himself to his feet, picking Iraki up gently in his arms. She stirred slightly but did not wake. Without a word or gesture to the queen, Riku walked to the first of the rooms and brought Iraki inside. He emerged a moment later, shutting the door behind him. "The guards will be listening for any sound from either Sora or Kairi?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Will they agree to wake me the second either of them wakes up?"

The queen nodded. She turned to the guards. "Hear that? That is an order."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the guards responded in unison.

"Thank you." Without another word, Riku turned and headed into the other room, shutting the door behind him. The queen simply stared after him for a moment, chewing her lip slightly. Then she turned and headed back to the meeting room.

* * *

Sora awoke and opened his eyes. He grimaced at the light for a second, squinting slightly. He knew the room was actually very dark, but apparently it had been a long time since his real eyes had last seen light, although Sora himself had no real sense of how long it had been since that night when Aros had betrayed him.

_He's sinking himself into the darkness. I wonder why?_

Sora's head ached slightly. At first, he didn't know what was causing it, but then he realized that some part of him had a vague memory of being hit--and by Riku, no less. _It must have been hard for Riku and Kairi to have to stop me. I'm so glad they were able to do it. I was starting to think...that I was lost forever..._

Sora put a hand to his heart then. While his head was only aching slightly, his heart hurt with a sharp, constant pain. He knew that he almost hadn't made it back, and obviously his condition was still very grave. On top of the pain, he was completely exhausted, so much so that he didn't even want to attempt to sit up. But he made himself at least lift his head up and look around the room. Kairi's lucky charm was on the bed next to him, and, surprisingly, he found Kairi sleeping peacefully just beside it. He smiled at the sight of her and, without even thinking about it first, reached out a hand to smooth back a few stray strands of her brown hair. She had certainly gotten beautiful in these last four years...

Kairi stirred slightly at his touch, and Sora pulled his hand back quickly, not wanting to wake her, but she simply sighed rather contentedly and grew still again.

Sora thought about just going back to sleep himself--his body certainly wanted to--but he found that he had too many thoughts racing through his head to really relax. What exactly had happened between the time when he had lost his heart and now? And where exactly was he? This room was an exact mirror image of the room he had stayed in at the King's Castle. Did that mean he was simply in a different room at the King's Castle? Or could this be the same room, or any room in the castle, but on the other side of the mirror?

He knew that Kairi, Riku, and Iraki were all here, at least. He wondered how they had met up. And Riku's presence at all...that was such a relief and a wonderful surprise. _So he did escape from Kingdom Hearts after all. I guess he really was the one who attacked me before, and he must have gotten his heart back since then. I'll have to find out how that happened so I can thank whoever did it. I wonder...did Kairi save him, too? She used a white Keyblade to save me. That must be...what did Auron call it? Its purpose for light, like how my Keyblade seals worlds. But how did she get the White Keyblade? Did it come to her?_

Kairi stirred then, and Sora turned his head toward her. She opened her eyes, and he grinned. "Hi, Kairi."

"Sora..." Tears were welling up in Kairi's eyes, and Sora could feel tears coming to his own as well. Four years. It had been four years.

An idea occurred to Sora then. Despite his fatigue, he figured he could do this much at least. He needed to do it. So Sora reached out and picked up the lucky charm that was resting between them. He held it out to Kairi. "I brought it back to you. Just like I promised."

Kairi laughed slightly at his words, but her laughter was choked with tears. They began flowing down her cheeks then, and Kairi smiled, reaching out and accepting the gift from him. Her hand lingered against his. Sora would have liked to remain that way, but his muscles were exhausted, and he had to let his hand drop.

Kairi looked a little surprised and worried, so Sora tried to keep an encouraging smile on his face.

"I'm gonna heal you, Sora," Kairi promised, "I just need a little time."

"Don't hurt yourself, Kairi. I can wait. It's okay."

Kairi let out a sob at that. "You always say things like that, Sora!" she protested, "You're hurt, and I can fix it, so I'm going to!"

Sora sighed, but he couldn't help smiling slightly at her determination. "Just don't hurt yourself."

"I won't."

"Good."

Kairi returned his encouraging smile. Then she took a deep breath and sat up, calling the White Keyblade to her hand. "I got some sleep, so I have plenty of energy to heal you some more," she stated.

Both could tell from the strained look on her face that this was not true, but Sora didn't protest. After all, he had no love for being in the state that he was in. He wished he knew what had been happening, but whatever it was, he was sure the door to the light still needed to be found, and he was the one who was supposed to do that. He needed to get well so he could continue his journey. There were worlds to seal, a door to open...

_The Keyblade!_ Sora's eyes widened slightly. _Iraki had it. But how long ago was that? And what happened in her battle against Aros?_

He wanted to ask Kairi what she knew about it, but he decided that now was not the time.

"I'm sorry I have to do this, Sora," Kairi stated, either not noticing his sudden worry or passing it off as fear about what she was about to do. She raised the White Keyblade, and they both tried not to cringe as Kairi brought it down, stabbing it into his chest. Kairi closed her eyes, concentrating, and the Keyblade began to glow white.

Sora felt no pain when the Keyblade slid into his chest--just a warmth and a light that spread to fill him, chasing away the painful chill in his heart bit by bit. The sensation continued for almost a full minute before Kairi let out a groan and allowed the Keyblade to disappear. She fell over backwards, lying again on the bed. "That's all...I can do for now," she panted breathlessly

Sora was alarmed to hear Kairi's voice sound so exhausted. For a second he almost regretted his desire that she heal him as soon as possible. "Shh...you get some more sleep, okay, Kairi? I can wait. Just take care of yourself."

Kairi nodded slightly, slipping back into unconsciousness. Sora felt his worries fading as, for a moment, he simply watched her sleeping. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her face. She almost seemed to look content, sleeping like that. He knew he should have felt content himself, just watching her sleep, but the painful chill in his heart was still very much there, and he couldn't fully divert his attention from it. Kairi's effort had not done much to get rid of it. _I've been a Heartless. Maybe...my body doesn't want my heart to be healed?_

Sora tried not to think about that. He just watched Kairi breathing in and out, sleeping peacefully. Finally, they were together again. It had been so long.

Sora's fatigue finally got to him, and he let out a contented sigh, allowing himself to once again slide into unconsciousness--the still, death-like sleep found only in those with a heart so weak as to be almost non-existent.

* * *

Aros awoke and blinked a few times. The sight of his surroundings momentarily left him wondering if he were still dreaming, but then he remembered where he was. He pulled himself reluctantly to his feet; he still felt quite groggy and would have much rather gone back to sleep, but there was Sora to consider. The last thing he could afford to do would be to allow someone to find Sora before he did.

Aros started walking again, for a moment a bit sluggish, but his pace quickened as he fully awoke and his determination returned. He had to be almost there by now, after all, and he had wasted enough time already.

_But I have to keep in mind that Sora is not my destination. The Sovereign's Palace is._

_I know that!_ Aros snapped. The voice that had started out as a leader and an ally had lately begun to seem like quite an annoyance.

_I am aware. But both minds must be kept on the subject._

_Then keep your mind on it quietly!_

After yelling that, Aros suddenly felt very worried, but he knew the worry wasn't his own, and he wondered why the other wasn't hiding it from him. _And what are you worried about, anyway?_ he asked coldly, _You knew my terms from the beginning. **I** am in control. The decisions are mine. You just provide input._

He could almost feel the other raise an eyebrow at that comment. _Is that not what I'm doing right now?_

Aros just scowled and tried not to think about the other's words for fear of inadvertently giving a reply that he was right. Instead, Aros fixed his gaze squarely ahead of him, squinting, trying to see if he could make anything out in the distance. He had to be close by now.

He wondered how much time had passed since the destruction of Crossroads City. He had been exhausted when he had gone to sleep. How long had he been out? Probably quite a while. There hadn't been anything around to disturb him or wake him up. _Add to that the time I spent in Empty Citadel and my wasted mirror-hopping to __Traverse__Town__ and that tournament arena. It must be morning at least, if not later in the day. Anyone could have found Sora in that much time! What if one of the Keyblade Masters...?_

_Why don't you check?_ the other interrupted.

Aros scowled. He was quite sick of the other's input. But it _was_ a good suggestion; he couldn't deny that.

Aros closed his eyes and asked the Heartless if they could sense any of the other three Keyblades.

The Heartless could only sense the White and the Golden, and both were at the Sovereign's Palace.

_**What!?** You're attacking the King's Castle! The Keyblade Masters were there! How could they have gotten away!?_

The Heartless had seen Riku with the Golden Keyblade and Kairi with the White. They had fought against them and were winning, but then Kiru had used a powerful spell against them, and it had destroyed enough of them that Riku and Kairi had been able to escape through the mirror.

_And Kiru?_ Aros demanded.

His heart had disappeared after he had used the spell. They had stopped seeing him then.

_His heart...disappeared?_

Aros's eyes widened as he realized what this probably meant. _After he used a spell...a powerful spell... Could the spell have...?_

_What spell was it? And was it targeted against you specifically?_

The spell was of the gravity type, but it had been enhanced somehow, and it had seemed to come out from Kiru, destroying the Heartless all around him.

_So he was the radius of the blast. And it was a gravity spell, but it destroyed you!? All of you around him? If that's true, Kiru must be..._ As the realization dawned on Aros, he felt a multitude of emotions well up inside him. With an effort, he focused on his anger and allowed that to fill him. "Kiru, you idiot!" he cried aloud, "How could you just get yourself killed? I was supposed to take you down myself! You were going to be forever lost in darkness, and it was going to be at my hand! How can I take revenge on you when you're _dead_!?"

Suddenly there were tears in Aros's eyes, but he blamed them on his intense anger. Kiru had destroyed himself. The fool. The absolute fool. How could he have had that sort of nerve? And didn't anything matter to him at all? What was this going to do to Iraki?

_Iraki..._ Aros shook his head violently, a few tears falling from his eyes. _I could care less how this affects her. Her only meaning anymore is that she is a White Keyblade Master. Aside from that, she is completely insignificant. I don't care how she feels. I don't care what happens to her. She isn't even worth plunging into darkness she's so worthless. It would be a waste of my time; she'll go down with all the other people once I've won._

_All very true. And I have no more time to waste worrying about it. I still have Sora to find. I know Riku and Kairi are at the Sovereign's Palace now, but I should make sure Sora's still there before I arrive, shouldn't I?_

Aros scowled at the voice, ready to lash out at the owner that of course this was worth thinking about--the loss of Kiru changed things, didn't it? Then he realized what that sounded like and stopped himself, instead rubbing a hand across his face to clear his eyes of tears. More came anyway. He must still be very angry. _But it does change things. Kiru was a Golden Keyblade Master and my greatest enemy. This works to our advantage, but...after everything, he should have at least let me have revenge! Why did he have to take even that away from me!?_

_And dwelling over it accomplishes what?_

Aros scowled and declined to reply. He swiped a hand across his face again and decided he'd better calm himself down. He shouldn't be crying right now; it made it look as if he... _I am **not** upset over Kiru's death. I'm just angry at him for taking everything from me, right down to my chance for revenge. His death just proves even more exactly what type of person he was. He seemed to enjoy ruining my life!_

_Sora?_ the other voice persisted.

Aros glowered, knowing that, although the other could not see him doing it, he could at least feel it. Then Aros reached out to the darkness surging inside him, using it to directly pinpoint the location of the Heartless that used to be Sora.

Except the darkness itself couldn't find a location for it.

"WHAT!?" Aros screamed aloud in disbelief. He was too late. There no longer was a Heartless Sora. Something had happened to it.

_Maybe it got destroyed? The people at the Sovereign's Palace would have had no way of knowing that it was really Sora--not unless Riku or Kairi figured it out and told them. But how would they know? And how would they even find him? That's probably it. He was simply destroyed, and Sora is just plain gone now._

_No, that would be too easy,_ came the protesting voice of the other, _Sora's stood up to much worse before. Shadow or not, I don't think he would just get himself destroyed. It seems...unthinkable._

Aros almost snickered at that. _Are you in denial now?_

_Riku and Kairi made it to the Sovereign's Palace **with the Keyblades**. The coincidence seems too great; I wonder if perhaps they knew a way to find Sora. Are you completely ruling out the possibility that the reason there is no Heartless that is Sora is because he has his heart back?_

_Now you're the one going on about the impossible! His heart was somewhere near Iraki. They would have had to find both her and him to bring him back. And you know as well as I do that his heart gave out while she was dueling me. He was almost out of strength then; his heart probably doesn't even exist anymore. There is **no way** they could have saved him!_

_And you think that after the destruction of Crossroads City Iraki and Sora couldn't have ended up on the same world?_

Aros scowled at that. _Still, you're counting on too many coincidences!_

_All very viable ones._

Aros scowled again, seething in anger. His tears had finally stopped, but he didn't even notice, let alone realize that they had stopped when he had gotten even angrier instead of persisting until he calmed down.

_In any case, the Sovereign's Palace should still be my destination. I should hurry there and find out for myself._

_Stop speaking like we're the same person!_

Aros thought he felt the other seem to raise an eyebrow again, and he felt no small amount of annoyance. _There is only one body. What the body does is a reflection of both of us._

_It's **my** body! And **I** control my body--not you!_

The other sighed. _Fine then. But we need to get to the Sovereign's Palace as quickly as possible. Hopefully Sora--assuming he is back, of course--is not back to full health yet, and if Riku and Kairi were injured at the King's Castle, hopefully they haven't had much time to heal either. The sooner we get there, the more of an advantage **you** will be at for fighting them._

_Fighting them..._ Aros's lips drew up in a grin. _I'll get to test my new powers._

He could feel the other seem to smile within him. _Yes. Now you'll get to see just how necessary it was for you to bring the darkness within yourself. You'll finally understand just what a powerful tool it can be._

_Oh, I know all about the power of the darkness,_ Aros replied, _And even if Sora is back right now, he won't be back for long._

Suddenly the swirls of color before Aros were broken by a large shape looming in the distance. He broke into a run, his gaze riveted on that disturbance. As he drew closer, a door slowly took shape before him. _The door to the Sovereign's Palace..._

Aros ran as hard as he could, despite the protests of the other to conserve his strength. He could rest for a minute once he got there. Right now, all he could think of was that he had to find out for sure if that was really it. Was he really almost to the Sovereign's Palace--almost to his revenge on Sora and the others?

Finally reaching the tall, golden double doors, Aros pushed them open eagerly. He found himself at the edge of a wide green plain, the grasses broken only by a dirt path running through the plain in the distance. Stepping forward, Aros found that the door was embedded in a cliff of cold gray stone. He ignored the rock face rising behind him, however, and set out toward the path. _There's only one place that path can lead, and what better place to look for visitors from another world but at the castle?_

Aros's face broke out in a grin. He was really almost there. At last!


	38. Fragility

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 38: Fragility  
**

"I wish it were safe to contact them," Ansem commented suddenly.

Mickey looked up sleepily from where he sat hunched over a desk at the scientist who, for the past half hour or so, had been pacing nervously back and forth in front of the lab's door.

"Ansem," Mickey yawned, "They're the Keyblade Masters for a reason. And you know that contacting them would probably just make you worry even more. The whole time you're talking to them, you'll be worrying about what's going on in the background, if they're getting attacked or are needed somehow. We need to..." Mickey hesitated, trying to work out exactly what he was attempting to say. "We need to just believe in them to handle things on their own, don't we?"

Ansem turned to Mickey in surprise, his face seeming to light up. "Just believe in them. That's _exactly_ it! Mickey, your use of language really is brilliant. That was just what I needed to hear right now, just what I need to be thinking. I should believe in them, after all. They're the Keyblade Masters. And, in the end, it is they who will determine the fate of this universe."

Mickey nodded, a bit surprised at the intensity of Ansem's response. He couldn't help smiling slightly. "Exactly."

"So then..." Ansem trailed off, thinking, "I suppose there's nothing for us to do but continue waiting." He started pacing again, although Mickey doubted that he realized he was doing it.

"Ansem-" Mickey started.

But suddenly their conversation was interrupted by a scratching noise from outside the room. Both froze, listening intently.

The scratching noise quickly grew louder, and it was painfully obvious to them what was creating the sound. Claws were scratching on the stone floor outside. _Many_ claws were scratching on the stone floor.

Neither Ansem nor Mickey dared to say a word, but they were both very much thinking the same thing. Ansem hadn't closed his eyes fast enough. The enemy had seen his location after all. And now he had sent the Heartless here specifically.

Ansem turned his gaze worriedly toward the machine holding Kiru's sword. Mickey grimaced. Of course that was what the scientist felt was the most important thing to protect.

The sound of claws continued to grow in volume until it was coming from just outside the door. Both the scientist and the king held their breath, gazes trained on the door now. Would the illusion work? If not, would the barrier hold?

They listened in absolute silence and apprehension as the first of the group of Heartless audibly passed by the door. The Heartless behind them followed, and soon that frightening sound of the scraping of claws was fading down the hallway.

Mickey let out his breath in a sigh of relief. Ansem grimaced, turning to him nervously. Then he suddenly seemed to realize he needed oxygen and let his breath out as well. He leaned forward toward the mouse. "They'll be back," he whispered.

"I know," Mickey whispered back. His mind was racing now. _We're probably going to have to fight them. And Ansem...he taught Riku how to use magic today. He got Kiru that sword. Everything...it's all been today, hasn't it? The last time we really had a moment's rest..._ He frowned. "Ansem...when was the last time you got any sleep?"

Ansem frowned as well, looking surprised at the question. "It's been a while," he admitted finally, "It must be pretty late at night by now. Or early in the morning, maybe."

Mickey nodded. "I think so, too. That sounded like an army out there. Knowing the Heartless, we should still have a while before they figure out where we are. And then even longer before they figure out how to get in. You get some sleep first, and I'll wake you up in an hour or two and get some myself."

"Mickey-"

The mouse held up a hand, cutting off Ansem's protests. "I know that teaching Riku to use magic wore you out earlier. And don't even try to tell me that sitting around here has been resting because you've been so nervous that you haven't even been able to sit still. So please, Ansem, get some rest. You're more tired than I am; you taught Riku magic. So I'll rest, but not until after you do. Okay?"

Ansem frowned, but, apparently unable to argue with Mickey's logic, he finally sighed and nodded. "There's a cot in the back behind that machine over there," he stated, gesturing toward a large contraption slightly in front of the back wall. "As you said, wake me up after an hour or two. You need sleep before we fight the Heartless as well."

Mickey nodded and suppressed a yawn. He smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Ansem. I'll wake you. Go sleep."

Ansem nodded again, then turned and headed for the back wall. He hesitated, half turning back.

"Ansem, I'll be keeping a lookout while you sleep. And I seriously doubt that the Heartless would be able to burst in here without waking you anyway. Relax. You need your strength. _We_ need you to have your strength."

Ansem cringed. "Yes, yes, I know. I'm going to sleep."

"Good."

Ansem turned back toward the wall and strode up to the enormous machine that was there. Stepping around it, he quickly disappeared behind it.

Mickey sighed in relief and turned his attention back to the door. He couldn't hear the Heartless now, but he was sure they were out there somewhere, searching all around under the castle for Ansem's laboratory. Hopefully he and Ansem both would have time to rest before the Heartless found them, but he knew that a battle was coming. It was just a matter of when.

* * *

Riku awoke and immediately got out of bed. Without even a thought of straightening the sheets, he headed directly for the door and out into the hallway where two guards stood stationed outside Sora's and Kairi's room. "Have you heard anything?" he demanded, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the room's presumably sleeping occupants.

"A bit ago I think at least one of them woke up, " one guard, a short, humanoid white dog, confessed, looking nervous, "But they must have gone back to sleep within a minute or so, so I didn't think it would be right to disturb you."

Riku couldn't help glaring in agitation. He knew he should have stayed watching their room himself! One or both of them had woken up, and no one had said anything to him? "Did you check on them at all? Are you sure they're all right?" Riku hissed.

"No one has been in or out of the room, I assure you," the other guard, this one a humanoid orange cat, responded, sounding just as nervous as the first.

Riku nodded but kept his gaze stern. Then, without another word, he stepped up to the door and opened it a crack, peering inside.

Kairi and Sora were both sleeping peacefully on the bed, their bodies turned toward each other. Riku almost smiled at the scene, but then Kairi stirred slightly in her sleep, and Riku couldn't help but notice how still Sora was. Even if they had woken up earlier, and even if Kairi had tried to do more for Sora in that time, which, if she had woken up at all, he was sure she had done, it obviously hadn't improved the situation, or at least not much.

Riku sighed slightly and took a step back, closing the door. He turned to the guards again. "Get me if you hear any noise at all, got that? But be quiet about it so you don't disturb Iraki."

"Y-yes sir," the dog stammered. Both were eyeing Riku very nervously, and he had to resist the urge to scowl. He was still dressed in all black. And he was sure he still carried his past around with him, in his eyes at the very least. Of course he terrified them. People being afraid of him...it was something he deserved, wasn't it?

Riku turned and headed over to Iraki's room. He knocked lightly just in case she was awake, but there was no response, so he slowly opened the door, cringing as it creaked on its hinges.

As Riku entered the room, he was hit with a sense of nostalgia that was almost painful. After all, Sora and Kairi were staying in the room that was the parallel of Sora's room at the King's Castle. That meant that this room, directly across the hall from theirs, was the one...

_This is the room that Kiru stayed in._

Riku felt sudden tears springing to his eyes, but he held them back angrily. _This is no time for me to be getting upset. Iraki..._

Riku closed the door gently behind him, cringing as the hinges creaked again. Then he stepped forward slowly. His eyes were still adjusted enough to the darkness that he was able to see reasonably well in the dark room, just as he had been able to in Sora's and Kairi's. As he approached the bed, he found Iraki sleeping rather fitfully, the sheets knotted around her body and tear tracks running down her face. She let out a sob, and at the realization that she was crying in her sleep, Riku felt more pangs of nostalgia and those tears coming to back to his eyes. _Kiru...I stood here and saw him cry, too._

After that terrible tragedy had happened to Kiru, Riku had needed to be strong for Kairi's sake. But now Kairi had Sora again, and Riku couldn't help but feel that he was undeserving to just keep living without suffering constant pain and anguish. And Kiru...how could he ever stop regretting what had happened to Kiru? How could he ever stop wishing that he had done something more? How could he ever stop feeling guilty for abandoning Kiru when they crossed the mirror?

_We had to do that so that we could come here and save Sora. Just look at the condition Sora was in when Kairi saved him. What would have happened if we had been any later? Would we have been able to save him?_

Riku knew that there had been no other choice at the time. But that just couldn't stop the guilt.

Iraki sobbed again, and Riku's attention was pulled from his thoughts back to her tear-stained face. _I might not need to be strong for Kairi now, but there's someone else I definitely need to be strong for,_ he reminded himself. With her eyes closed, Iraki did look exactly like Kairi. And for Riku, she exuded the same sort of air. She was someone with a bright inner light. Someone who didn't deserve pain or suffering in her life. She was someone fragile. And looking at her now after just seeing Kairi sleeping peacefully, Riku was struck with the thought that Iraki was somehow much more fragile than Kairi was. No, he knew that Iraki was more fragile. In both her mind and in her heart, Iraki was balancing precariously on the edge of the darkness. Kairi had an inner strength that Riku had always admired. Maybe Iraki had inner strength, too, but if that were so, then she must have suffered some truly terrible experiences to have depleted it to such an extent. And now, after finding out what had happened to Kiru... Riku was just thankful that he hadn't lost Iraki at that moment. But that didn't mean that she was out of danger yet.

_"Take care of her."_

Sora hadn't been able to take care of Kairi as Riku had requested. But Riku understood the reasons why, and while he knew that they both regretted what Kairi had had to endure alone for four years, he knew that there had been no other way, and Sora... Well, Sora being Sora and Riku being who he had become, he knew there was no way he could hold it against his friend. If there had been any possible way for Sora to keep Kairi from suffering, he would have done it. Riku knew that.

_"Riku...take care of Iraki. Take care of Iraki if anything happens to me..."_

It was the same request. Kiru could never have known exactly what he was asking, but Riku did, and he couldn't forget those words. Even if the request hadn't been the same, if Kiru had asked it in some other way, Riku still knew just how much he owed to Kiru, and he knew that he couldn't fail him. But the fact that it was the very same request... It just added to its importance. Because Riku knew exactly how he had felt the moment he had made that request of Sora. Along with his desperate desire that Kairi be safe and happy, he had been giving her up with those words. And he couldn't help but feel that Kiru had been doing the same.

_She's in my hands now. Kiru, you should have warned me just what a fragile thing she is before letting me put myself in this position. But I'm committed now, and I can't pull out--no matter what._

Meeting Iraki had been a shock for Riku. He realized now that, until he had met her, Iraki had never truly been a real person in his mind. Oh, he had known that she existed, but she had always been more of an idea, an impression of someone far away. He had never really thought of what to expect her to be like. And now that he had met her, well, she couldn't confound the expectations that he didn't have, but he knew that, if he had been expecting anything, the broken girl that he had found certainly wasn't it.

_She needs me to be strong. I can't fall into my own regrets and suffering--not just yet, at least. Because falling in would be an escape, and I still have commitments here that I have to hold to. I have to be strong...for her. Because there's no way I can fail Kiru, and that means there's no way I can fail her._

Riku was standing beside the bed now. He hadn't realized that he had been moving closer to her, but now here he was. Riku reached out a hesitant hand and brushed away a few of Iraki's tears. Just like Kairi in appearance, but in so many ways so much more fragile. She needed every bit of strength that Riku had to give, just as Sora needed every bit of Kairi's strength. And while Sora was welcoming Kairi's aid, Riku couldn't help but worry that Iraki wouldn't want his. After all, he knew exactly how she felt. All the pain...all the regrets... He had experienced the same thing behind the door to the darkness, and he had turned to the darkness as an escape. Keeping her from making the same mistake...that was something Riku wasn't sure he would be able to do. But he would try with every bit of his being.

There was a light knock at the door, and Riku pulled his hand back, startled. He turned and strode toward the door, pulling it open slowly and cringing at the creak of the hinge. He stepped outside and shut it behind him, cringing again, before he even looked at the guards. "Are they awake?" he whispered finally.

"No," the cat stated. It was only then that Riku noticed Draggy standing stolidly behind the two guards. "We have been ordered to inform you that another Keyblade Master has arrived at the castle. He's not here quite yet, but the guards at the gate spotted him approaching and apparently were able to discern the Keyblade in his hand."

"Another Keyblade Master!?" Riku cried, for a second completely forgetting about the three people sleeping in the rooms around him. _No... It couldn't be._ "What does he look like? What color is his Keyblade?"

"I wasn't given a description of the young man," Draggy spoke up from behind the two, his eyes furrowed in concern. He seemed to have some sense of the gravity of Riku's questions. "But I was told what color the Keyblade was."

"And?"

"It's black."

* * *

Aros grinned as he at last came to the guarded castle gates. He held the Black Keyblade at his side, trying to appear as relaxed as possible. After all, knew exactly what to do to get him into the castle and, presumably, get him to Sora as well.

He approached the dog and human who were on guard confidently, a grin on his face. "I heard from people in town that there were Keyblade Masters here," he burst out before either of the two had a chance to say a word. He shifted his grip on the Black Keyblade, trying to draw their attention to it in case they hadn't spotted it already. "We all got separated a while ago...I thought I would never find them! They are here, right? Do you know who all's here?"

As Aros had expected, both guards' eyes had been locked on his Keyblade, probably since before he had even reached them, and their faces were mirrors of the same shock and awe. "Do you know?" he repeated, trying to mask his irritation as they continued to stare without saying a word.

The dog finally cleared his throat. "Uh...yes, we do. The Keyblade Masters here are...um...Riku, Kairi, and Iraki." He turned to the human next to him, obviously looking for confirmation.

"Yeah, that's right," the human stated, although he had never even bothered to look up from the Keyblade.

Aros couldn't hide his shock. "I-Iraki?" he stammered.

_I have to calm down or I'll spoil everything._

_You shut up! Iraki...she can't be here. She just can't!_

The guard shifted uncomfortably, seeming to mistake Aros's disbelief for skepticism. "Umm...yes. I'm quite sure that was the young lady's name. The other two arrived earlier, but I saw Miss Iraki myself."

Aros shook his head slightly, then opened his mouth, about to unconsciously deny the guard's words again. He snapped it shut and tried to force his face to assume an expression of excitement, although the very thought of doing so turned his stomach. Excitement at seeing Iraki? How could he be excited? He hated her! And if she were really here...

_I suspected as much. It seems very likely that Sora has his heart back._

_Didn't I tell you to shut up!? We don't know that yet!_

To go with his fake grin, Aros adopted a tone of fake excitement, trying as hard as he could to not even think about the possibility of finding a restored Sora inside the castle. And anyway, if Sora were inside, wouldn't the guard have mentioned him, too? Whether he had a Keyblade or not, he was still a Master. "Great! I really hadn't thought to find all three of them here. Where are they? Can I see them?"

"Of course. We'll get someone to lead you to them."

Aros's grin grew wide then, and no longer forced, as his mind suddenly realized the wonderful opportunity that he had here. Not to mention his charade had worked, but he had been expecting that. People were so easily fooled. "Great, thanks! I can't wait to see them again!"

He resisted the urge to laugh. The guard had just listed the three of them, so that was likely all he would find. They wouldn't be expecting him, and he could literally feel the power of the darkness surging within him. His magic had to be back by now, in addition to the fact that he could harness the darkness itself as a weapon as well. He could certainly dispose of the three here and now. It would be so easy.

_And if Sora is inside the castle?_

_Then I'll just dispose of him, too! This will be the end of the other Keyblade Masters._


	39. Black and Gold

Special thanks to Akai Kitsune for beta-reading this chap for me! I have a beta-reader now. Isn't that awesome?

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 39: Black and Gold  
**

Iraki awoke to find herself alone in an unfamiliar room. She sat up with a start, getting caught in the sheets that were tangled around her. She could feel the tears, still fresh and wet, that had been running down her face. "What? Where am I?"

Memories came flooding back to her then. A warm body, strong arms around her, holding her as she cried. _Kiru...? No...not Kiru...Kiru is..._

Iraki broke out in fresh tears, sobs immediately beginning to rack her body as her intense grief came flooding back over her. _It can't be true... I just saw him. I just talked to him. There's no way, no way at all! Kiru... You can't be dead. You can't be **gone**! A world without you...what does that leave for me?_

_"Kiru wanted you to be happy and safe. I thought you should know that."_

_Riku..._

Iraki thrashed her arms until they were free enough from the sheets for her to wrap them around herself. Riku. She had let Riku hold her. And she and Kiru had never...not outside of a dream...

Sobbing, Iraki let her arms drop and buried her face in her hands. That icy cold sensation was back in her chest, as strong as ever. Had she just betrayed Kiru? Had she betrayed their years of tacit love?

_"Iraki, I promised Kiru that if anything happened to him, I would take care of you."_

_But...if Kiru's gone...and if he wanted Riku to take care of me..._

The cold diminished slightly, but then it flared back up again.

_Kiru...gone?_

She couldn't think of him as gone. Her mind couldn't take it. If he were gone, then what did that leave for her? What was the point in continuing this journey? Or even in continuing to live?

And, rather than being a source of pain, the cold in her heart somehow seemed inviting now. An escape from her heartwrenching sorrow...

_"Just leave you to do what? Fall to the darkness? I've been there, Iraki, and trust me, it's not an experience you want to have! You think you hate yourself now, just wait until you come back after that. And yes, you just might wind up coming back, even if you try to use it as an escape."_

Iraki let out a sob and put her hands to her chest, frightened now, willing the chill to go away. Its intensity lessened.

_Riku...where are you now? I need your support... Without that, I won't...I won't make it without him._

Iraki managed to struggle her way out of the confines of the sheets and pull herself to her feet beside the bed. A continuous stream of tears still poured down her cheeks, and she didn't even think of straightening her clothing or her hair. She simply hurried across the room to the door, pulled it open, and peered out into the hall.

Spotting two guards standing to either side of the door of the opposite room, Iraki asked in a shaky voice, "Where's Riku?"

The guards turned to her in surprise and even seemed alarmed as their gazes took in her distraught appearance.

"Riku left to meet the Keyblade Master who has just arrived," one of the guards, a humanoid white dog, responded in an almost gentle voice.

"Keyblade Master?" Iraki asked, confused. But they were all here already. What other Keyblade Master could...

Iraki's eyes widened. Could it be? _Kiru, is it you?_

"Where is this Keyblade Master? Have you seen him? Please, what's his name?" Iraki cried in a burst of breath, the stream of tears pausing as hope bloomed in her frozen heart.

The guards both shook their heads, the dog even looking terribly apologetic. "All we know is that he carries a black Keyblade."

Iraki's eyes widened in horror. "A...black Keyblade?" she choked out, her breath seeming to catch in her chest. No. Not only would that mean that it wasn't Kiru...that he really might be... But it also meant that Aros was here! _Aros!_

The grief and terror that welled up within Iraki then was truly too much for her. She could faintly hear one or both of the guards cry out in alarm as the ground came up very quickly to meet her and darkness overtook her senses.

* * *

Kairi awoke to find Sora conscious and smiling over at her. "Good morning, Kairi," he stated, his voice still alarmingly thin. He blinked drowsily and opened his mouth in a huge yawn. "I hoped you would wake up soon."

"Sora, you should be resting!" Kairi cried. Why was he staying awake waiting for her? It wasn't because...was something wrong? _No...nothing could have happened while I was sleeping! I would have heard something, or..._

"Shh...don't worry." Sora smiled at her reassuringly. "I just wanted to talk to you. I want you to rest more before you try to heal me again."

"What? But Sora, you're still so hurt-"

Sora shook his head slightly, and Kairi cut off her words. "It'll take forever to heal me if you keep doing such little bits. This will go faster if you get more energy back before healing me again."

"But Sora..." Kairi allowed her words to trail off on her own this time. She could tell from the serious look on his face that this was really what he thought was the best course of action. He certainly had to be determined about it if he had even kept himself awake just to stop her from trying to heal him.

Kairi sighed. "All right. I'll rest a little longer first."

Sora nodded again, the movement almost imperceptible. He smiled at her gratefully. "Good." And then his eyes closed, and he went immediately back to sleep.

Kairi watched him nervously for a bit as he slept; he still wasn't stirring at all. _Sora..._ All she could think as she gazed at him was that the one thing she wanted most in the world right now was for him to be better. For him to be safe.

_And the only way for that to happen is with my energy. I'd better sleep now. I can't waste any time. Sora needs me to rest so I can help him._

But even as Kairi told herself this, she found that she couldn't just settle back into the peace of slumber. She unconsciously clasped and unclasped her right hand a few times before she noticed she was doing it and forced herself to stop. She was yearning to summon the White Keyblade, and she knew it. As tired as she was, as terrible as it was to stab him, as hard and disheartening as it was to try to heal him, she wished that she could be doing it right now. Because if she had energy and she wasn't using it for him, she felt like she was wasting it. Like she was being somehow selfish. He needed her, and she wanted to be there for him to the very fullest extent that she could be.

_But what he said was right, wasn't it? I'll be able to help him more if I rest now and heal later. I'm wasting energy thinking like this; I should be sleeping._

Kairi shifted, trying to find a comfortable sleeping position. She clasped her left hand around the sheets to pull them up, but stopped as she felt something cutting into her skin. Looking down, she saw her lucky charm still held tightly in her palm. She must have somehow forgotten she was holding it when she'd healed Sora and passed out afterwards, although how such an important thing could ever slip her mind, Kairi didn't know. It had just felt so natural for it to be in her hand that she hadn't given it a second thought. Realizing that made her smile.

Kairi brought the chain up, looping it around her neck and clasping it. Then she held the charm out before her with both hands, staring at the smiling face painted on it. _He could have kept it if he'd wanted to, but he had to keep his promise to me, of course. That's just the way he is._

On impulse, Kairi reached out a hand, running her fingers through Sora's spiky hair and trying to straighten it somewhat. She laughed slightly as it refused to settle in any way that wasn't unruly, but she quickly clamped her hand over her mouth to cut off the sound. Her eyes saddened as Sora didn't so much as stir.

_I'm wasting energy. I've gotta get back to sleep._

Kairi forced herself to turn her head so that she was gazing at the ceiling. _I'm so tired...why can't I fall asleep?_

Kairi kept her eyes focused on the ceiling, resisting the urge to turn back toward Sora.

_How long is it going to take me to heal him?_

Kairi sighed. She knew why she wasn't sleeping--she was too busy worrying to sleep.

_But if I just calmed down and slept, then I could heal him sooner._

The rationalization didn't help. How could she sleep knowing that he was next to her suffering--and more than he rightfully should be since even now she had enough energy to heal him a bit more?

_I have to sleep._

But what were they going to do if something happened before she finished healing him? What were they going to do if there was an attack?

_Worrying about it is just wasting my energy._

But as much as she kept telling herself to stop it, Kairi could not put her worries to rest. It was only after an hour or so of tossing and turning that she was finally able to fall into a fitful sleep.

During that hour, she hadn't been able to help but think that it probably would have been better if Sora had just let her exhaust herself healing him.

* * *

Riku ran almost blindly through the halls of the Sovereign's Palace, the Golden Keyblade gripped so tightly in his hand that his knuckles had turned white. _Aros..._

Flashes of memory passed through Riku's mind as he thought of the name. Himself holding a lead pipe over an unconscious Sora. A boy in blue standing before him, different from Sora in every way.

_"You're Riku."_

Riku gritted his teeth and squeezed the Keyblade even harder, wishing the memory would go away. He didn't want to see this again. He didn't want to remember how he had hurt Sora. He didn't want to remember making a deal with the very boy who had stolen Sora's heart.

_"So you've experienced the same darkness that I carry within me."_

Riku almost stopped in his tracks at that memory. Yes...Aros had said that; even now he could hear the words in his mind. But what had he meant?

No time to think about it now. Riku was almost to the front gates, and he was sure that Aros had reached them already. He was about to confront him. And he was going to do it alone.

_Sora and Kairi can't possibly fight right now. And Iraki... She has no Keyblade, and I...doubt that she would be able to fight right now either. I'm supposed to protect her. I have to protect all of them. I will keep Aros away from them on my own!_

As Riku approached the double doors at the front of the castle, he was surprised to find one of them being pushed inward. A human guard stepped inside and turned toward Riku, jumping in surprise at the sight of the armed and determined young man.

"Where are you going?" Riku demanded.

"There's a Keyblade Master here," the guard explained nervously, "He wants to see all of you. I was just getting a servant to take him to you."

"Don't let him in!" Riku burst out, trying to contain his anger. These guards didn't even know who Aros was! How could they just agree to take him to the other Keyblade Masters? Especially with Sora and Kairi in their current conditions... "He's an enemy! Keep him out of here!"

The guard's eyes widened in alarm, and he turned to rush back out the door. "No, wait!" Riku cried, realizing just how foolish it was to tell the guard to do his job _now_. "I'll take care of him. You alert the queen." _She should be warned just in case...just in case I don't pull this off..._

The guard nodded numbly and rushed into the palace. Riku ran out the open door, finding himself face to face with a feline guard and, just as he had expected, Aros himself.

"Go warn the queen!" Riku snapped at the guard first, gesturing with his Keyblade toward the open door.

Aros let out a cry of anger, and before either Riku or the guard knew what was happening, he had thrust the Black Keyblade into the guard's chest.

The cat lasted just long enough for Riku to catch a glimpse of the horrible fear in his eyes before a light emerged from his chest and his body faded, a shadow taking his place.

"No!" Riku growled, unable to contain his rage. He lunged at Aros, Golden Keyblade held high, but the new shadow jumped at him, digging sharp claws into his side. Intent on striking Aros, Riku let out a roar of rage and, before thinking about what he was doing, struck out with the Golden Keyblade at the shadow that hung off of him.

When he remembered that seconds ago that shadow had been a guard, that Kairi was inside with the White Keyblade, that perhaps the guard could have been saved just as Sora had been, it was already too late. Riku pulled back his blade, stopping dead, but he could only watch in horror as the shadow dissolved.

Aros laughed, the chilling sound making Riku's blood boil even more with rage. "It's a fine line between a friend and an enemy, isn't it?" the blond teen commented, his eyes dancing with laughter at Riku's show of emotion. "Seems you've changed quite a bit since the last time I saw you."

_"I am a Heartless born of the darkness behind the great door. My free will is my own, and my mission is my own. I don't care what the Heartless want with the Keybearer. I want him dead."_

"I've learned a lot since then," Riku responded coldly, trying again to push from his mind the memory of his previous meeting with Aros.

Aros laughed. "It seems more like you've forgotten."

_"I have to make him pay for abandoning me."_

"What are you doing here?" Riku demanded, unable to think of any other reply.

"What do you think I'm doing here?"

_"It won't matter, Riku. If you don't kill him, then I'm going to steal Sora's heart."_

Riku's eyes narrowed, and he tensed into a fighting position. "You aren't going inside the castle."

Aros shook his head as if he were amused, but he too proceeded to adjust his stance, ready to fight. "So you're going to stop me? Just you? What, are the other Keyblade Masters cowards? Or could it be..." Aros's lips curled up in a smirk. "That both Kairi and Iraki are currently incapacitated?"

_Kairi and Iraki? Does that mean...he doesn't know about Sora?_

Without bothering to give a response, Riku charged forward again, the Golden Keyblade pulsing with power in his hand. He brought it toward Aros in a sweeping arc, but the teen deftly brought the Black Keyblade up to block. The two weapons clanged harshly against each other.

Riku pulled his Keyblade back and immediately struck again, hoping that Aros would not have enough time to react to the blow. The other boy was fast, but not quite as fast as he was, and the Golden Keyblade ripped into Aros's arm.

Or would have, if a shield of darkness had not suddenly materialized over the boy's skin.

_What?_

"Firaga!"

Riku barely managed to shield himself with an Aerora spell before the rush of flames poured over him. Despite his spell, he could still feel the heat of the fire against his skin. Aros was not an opponent to be taken lightly; Riku could see that already. "Waterga!"

Aros stumbled backward against the rush of water, seemingly caught off guard enough that he didn't block against it. The teen jumped backwards swiftly, apparently expecting Riku's follow-up charge and swing with the Golden Keyblade. Needless to say, Riku only struck the air where Aros had been standing, and he in turn was struck with an attack that Aros had fired off at him. A ball of pure darkness nailed Riku in the chest, and it felt as if an icicle had just been plunged inside him.

_This is... How did he...?_

"Stopga!"

Riku dove to the side, manipulating his limbs so that he was able to roll along the ground and avoid the spell entirely. His chest was still cold from the darkness, however, and his memory...his memory was trying to tell him something about it...

_"So you've experienced the same darkness that I carry within me."_

_What did he mean?_

As Riku came up from the ground, he found another blast of the same darkness coming toward him. Riku rolled to the side again, but came up to find that Aros had fired again. Riku hastily cast another Aerora spell, not wanting to spend the entire battle rolling along the ground. Even through the shield, he felt the cold in his heart that the first spell had caused grow even more biting. Putting an involuntary hand to his chest, Riku cried, "Waterga!"

Aros simply held a hand out, and a wall of darkness formed in front of him, the water hitting it and cascading to the ground.

_He keeps using darkness... He's controlling it..._

_Just like Sora, Aros's heart was connected to another. But it certainly wasn't a connection born out of anything resembling love._

Riku's eyes widened. Aros shot another blast of darkness at him, but Riku simply rolled to the side again, unable to concentrate on the battle enough to think of any other reaction.

He had just remembered. He had remembered something from when he had been a Heartless for the second time--a realization that he had made of a truth about Aros. Even back in Traverse Town, when he had first relived his memory of meeting Aros, he had not remembered his realization, not remembered Aros's secret. But now...how could he ignore it when the evidence was right before his eyes?

Another blast of darkness came at Riku. This time he used the Golden Keyblade to deflect it, sending it plummeting to the side to burn into the grass. Aros stopped then, though. Perhaps something in Riku's gaze made him curious. In any case, it was lucky for Riku because he found that, looking into the boy's eyes now, he couldn't do anything but stare.

"What!?" Aros demanded irritably, staring back at Riku.

His throat dry, Riku was only able to choke out one word. "Ansem..."


	40. Power of the Heart

Special thanks to Akai Kitsune for beta-ing this chapter for me!

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 40: Power of the Heart  
**

Kairi awoke to a noise coming from outside the room. Someone was yelling. The voice was unfamiliar, but Kairi thought she heard the word "Iraki" amongst all the cries of alarm. Immediately she could feel her heart start pounding. What was happening out there? Was Iraki okay? She turned to Sora in her worry, but found him sleeping beside her, just as still as ever. _I shouldn't disturb him; not if I don't have to._

Before she really thought about what she was doing, Kairi found that she had stood up and started for the door. Sora had been right that sleeping would help her regain her strength. She felt a little light-headed and didn't know if she could stay up for long, but she was sure she had enough energy now to make some real progress healing him when she next tried. But for the moment, her mind was more focused on Iraki.

Kairi opened the door to find two guards kneeling around an unconscious figure. From her point of view, she could tell that it was Iraki, but the girl's face was blocked by the human guard. "Iraki!? Iraki, are you okay?" Kairi hurried forward, leaving the door to the room hanging open, and knelt beside Iraki, afraid her knees might give out otherwise. The shock coupled with her fatigue was making her head spin.

"Don't worry," the feline guard hurriedly reassured her, "She's breathing fine. I think she just fainted. She should wake up any time."

Kairi breathed a deep sigh of relief, her heart finally beginning to slow down. The lightheadedness subsided slightly as well. But then she realized that this explanation brought up another important question. "Fainted? Do you know what made her faint?"

"We just notified her that there's another Keyblade Master on his way here," the cat responded, sounding rather bewildered.

"He has a black Keyblade," the human added, as if he thought this was somehow important but wasn't sure why.

Kairi's eyes widened. _No..._ "A...black Keyblade?" she choked out, her throat tight. _Not with Sora hurt...me weak...and Iraki...he can't be here...he can't!_

The human looked at her nervously. "Yes, that's exactly what was reported to us. When Riku heard about it, he ran for the gates. Is there...something wrong with that Keyblade?"

_Riku went after him? Oh no..._

Kairi's expression grew grim as she attempted to hide her terror. She shook her head, trying to will her heart to stop pounding. "No, there's nothing wrong with the Keyblade. It's...the Keyblade Master that's the problem."

"You mean he's not trying to save us, too?"

Kairi couldn't help balking at the cat. _They're...really naive, aren't they? To them, the Keyblade Masters are always the heroes..._ "No." She swallowed hard, hating to be the one to reveal the harsh reality to them. "He's working for the darkness."

The jaws of both the guards dropped. They looked completely floored. "He's...working for the darkness?" the human repeated, his voice awed.

Kairi nodded gravely, knowing it would be no good to deny it.

"And he's _here_!?" the cat burst out, "We must notify the queen!"

"Wait!" the human cried, "We're supposed to guard-"

Kairi realized what he was saying and cut him off hastily. "We're fine here for now. Tell the queen so that she can stop him before he gets into the castle! If he gets here, you two won't..." Kairi swallowed hard again. "You won't be able to do anything to guard us."

_If Riku's already gone and Iraki's unconscious, then **I** would have to guard us. Alone..._

The guards just stared at her.

"Both of you! Go!" Kairi cried in desperation. _He has to be stopped before he gets here. I can't let him near Sora...but I can't stop him alone..._

Spurred into motion by her yell, the two hastily turned and started dashing down the hall, the cat tripping slightly but managing to catch his balance.

"Wha...?"

Kairi looked down in surprise to find Iraki blinking up at the ceiling, looking confused. Kairi sighed in relief. This was good news, at least. "Iraki, are you awake?" she asked worriedly.

"I..." Iraki turned to her and blinked. "Kairi? What...?" Her eyes widened as she seemed to remember something. "Kairi, Aros is...!" Iraki's voice caught, and she continued in almost a whisper. "Aros is _here_..."

Kairi bit her lip. "I know," she responded nervously, "Riku's already gone. He...he must be planning to fight him."

"Riku went-?" Iraki started to scramble to her feet, but Kairi put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her at a sitting position.

"You can't just run after him! We have to figure out what to do first. You don't even have a weapon! After all, you're a White Keyblade Master, too, and I need the Keyblade to heal Sora, so..."

Kairi stopped in mid-sentence as an idea suddenly struck her. Her eyes widened, and she jumped to her feet. Iraki watched _her_ now in concern and worry. "What? What is it?"

Kairi could feel excitement running through her. Maybe there was something she could do after all. "Sora could help Riku. If Sora were healed, I'm sure he could do something."

"But Kairi-"

Kairi shook her head, grinning now, and Iraki trailed off. "You're a White Keyblade Master, too. Since you don't have our connection, I don't know if you could have brought Sora back, but to just heal him..."

Iraki's eyes widened as she realized what Kairi was thinking. "But Kairi...Kairi, I couldn't possibly..."

Kairi's face fell, realizing now the flaw in her plan. _No! She can't let her worries get in the way now. We can do something this time. We have to!_ "You're a White Keyblade Master, Iraki! Of course you can. Don't worry, once you're there, you'll know exactly what to do," Kairi stated, trying to sound reassuring.

"But Kairi, I...I know I couldn't..."

"Iraki," Kairi couldn't help bursting out, "If we don't heal Sora _now_, then what's going to happen to Riku!? He's fighting Aros all alone!"

Iraki gave a sharp intake of breath. "Riku..." she breathed. Emotion flashed through her eyes. To Kairi, it looked like an emotion that she certainly hadn't been expecting. But the emotion disappeared in an instant, so that Kairi couldn't be certain if she had really seen what she thought she had.

Iraki pulled herself to her feet now. Something important had changed. In Iraki's face, Kairi could now see a firm resolve. "I'll try," she stated, "Just tell me what to do."

Despite the situation, Kairi couldn't help smiling slightly in her relief. "Okay. Come on." She led the way back into the room, where they found Sora lying awake on the bed, his face turned toward the doorway.

"What's happening? Is something wrong?" he breathed, his questions barely audible even over the short distance from the bed to the doorway.

"We're gonna work together to heal you, Sora," Kairi stated, giving a glance to Iraki to tell her not to say anything to Sora about the current situation. Iraki nodded then, looking as if she were affirming Kairi's words. It seemed that she had gotten the message.

"Work...together?" Sora smiled slightly, and excitement was visible in his eyes, although his lack of energy made it impossible for him to show it in any other way. "That's a really great idea, Kairi."

Kairi beamed, but then she thought again of the situation at hand and its urgency, and she stepped up to the bed, calling the White Keyblade to her hand. She motioned to Iraki to come stand beside her, and Iraki complied. The girl's determination seemed to have diminished slightly and been replaced by a bit more nervousness, but Kairi could tell that Iraki was still ready to do this. Something in Iraki's eyes made her believe it.

"Take a hold of the handle," Kairi instructed, her mind quickly coming up with a way for them to do this. She found that it wasn't hard to formulate a plan--something felt strangely _right_ about what she was saying.

Iraki reached out and put her right hand over Kairi's.

"On the count of three, we're going to...to put the Keyblade in Sora's body." Kairi couldn't keep her voice from catching and found it impossible to say directly that they were going to stab him, but she knew that Iraki had gotten the message and could only hope that her own fear and discomfort didn't damage Iraki's resolve. Still, Kairi had to add, "I'm sorry, Sora."

Sora frowned at her weakly. "Don't say that. It doesn't hurt, and it's the only way to help me. I don't...I don't want to stay like this."

As he said those last words, something flashed through Sora's eyes, and the sight of it tore at Kairi's heart. Fear...worry...pain...despair. She didn't want Sora to feel such feelings, and especially not so poignantly. But that was one of the reasons they were doing this. That, and to save Riku. In Kairi's mind, both reasons held the same importance.

"You'll be better soon," Kairi promised. It was only after she had said the words that she realized their powerful effect. Her own resolve had strengthened, and Iraki had tightened her hold on the Keyblade. It seemed she was taking the promise Kairi had just made as seriously as Kairi was.

"Okay, on three," Kairi stated. "One...two..._three_!"

She and Iraki plunged their hands forward in unison. Again she couldn't help but cringe as the Keyblade entered Sora's body, and she even closed her eyes, but once it was there, she felt a warmth and a power flow through her, and she could feel the Keyblade pulsing weakly in time with Sora's faintly beating heart.

But this time she felt a second pulsing as well--a strong one, but one that also seemed somehow muted. For a second she wondered what she was feeling, but then she realized that it was Iraki's heartbeat. _And the muted feeling...it's darkness pressing against it, I know it. So Riku must have told her... But I can't worry about that now. We have to save Sora! And then he can help Riku fight Aros..._

"I can feel it," Iraki breathed, "His heartbeat. And our own energy...we just need to send it into him."

"Yes. Together."

Kairi felt a burst of energy flow from Iraki toward Sora, and she added a burst of her own energy to it. Sora let out a slight cry, but the two continued concentrating, pouring more and more energy into him. Kairi could still feel the muted quality of the light pouring from Iraki, and she could sense the weakness in her own light--she was still short on energy. And Sora...that same resistance was still there, something in him that didn't want to return to the light. _But our energy has to be enough to bring him back. It **has** to be!_

Sora's heartbeat was strengthening, growing more prominent, but it was still so weak, the light so faded. Kairi kept concentrating, kept sending her energy, but she was too tired now...it was too much...

Kairi barely felt her hand slide from the Keyblade and her body tumble forward as she slipped into unconsciousness. Her mind was still concentrated inward, still trying to give Sora a bit more energy, and hoping with all her being that it would be enough.

* * *

Aros let out a growl and lunged forward, pulling his Keyblade back to give a slash at Riku stronger than any of the blows dealt so far in their duel. "_I am not Ansem!!_" he screamed, "Do not call me by that name! I am _not_ Ansem!!"

Riku jumped back in surprise, easily dodging Aros's mad swing. He knew this was the perfect opportunity for him to attack the youth, but shock was keeping him from concentrating. And somehow it didn't seem right for him to attack him after...whatever had just passed. Riku had expected Aros to accept Riku's realization, perhaps to boast over his power, as Riku would have expected Ansem to do. Or maybe Aros would have tried to hide the truth, to deny it. But while Aros _had_ denied it, Riku had never expected him to react like this...

Aros gave a cry and struck again at Riku, swinging wildly. His face was full of anger, desperation, and...fear?

_Ansem is somehow connected to him. I know it. But Aros isn't being controlled...not like I was. It's something else. And he seems afraid of it..._

Riku brought the Golden Keyblade up in a block. "Waterga!" he cried, hoping to catch Aros with the spell before he could react and erect another shield.

Aros swore as he was knocked backwards by the brunt of the spell, his shield of darkness only coming up in time to block off the last bit of it. "Firaga!" he screamed, effectively catching Riku off-guard right back, and Riku stumbled backwards as well as the flames washed over his body. His Aerora spell, thankfully, was still up, so aside from the painful heat of the spell, he found that it didn't burn him.

Riku lunged forward this time, coming in with a swing from the side that was angled toward the spot in Aros's chest that his Waterga spell had connected with. Aros blocked the blow with the Black Keyblade, simultaneously firing another ball of darkness directly at Riku's chest. Riku let out a cry, the cold biting into him, seeming for an instant to freeze him in place. Aros didn't take the opportunity to strike him, however. Instead, he jumped back away from Riku, standing with his Keyblade raised and his right hand held pointed toward Riku's chest, ready to fire another blast at him. "Why..." he growled, the question seeming more like a low snarl than an actual word, "Why did you call me by that name!?"

Surprised, Riku stared at Aros for a moment before answering. The gazes of the two boys locked on each other, and Riku found that he couldn't pull his gaze away. Aros's eyes...they were full of a fierce intensity and a deep anger, but as he stared at him, Riku couldn't help but notice the clearly visible, underlying _fear_. There was sadness there, too...pain... As if Aros knew that what he was doing was wrong but wanted to make himself believe it was right. As much as Riku tried to push away the feeling, he couldn't help but sense that his heart was going out to Aros. In this moment, as the boy looked so vulnerable and yet seemed so determined that he had to be on the right course even while knowing that it was wrong...Aros reminded Riku far too much of himself, four years ago. If Aros's situation had been any different, Riku was sure he could have scorned him, but to see Aros as he was now...so similar to the way Riku had been...

_Look at what he's done! Look at what he did to Sora! And Iraki seems so hurt...that could have been him, too, couldn't it? He could have sent out the Heartless that...caused us to lose Kiru. And he could have done something to Iraki herself, too. He's destroyed worlds. Who knows all of what he's done? I can't feel sorry for him! I can't distract myself with feelings like that. I just have to stop him!_

A small voice in his mind replied, _But destroying worlds, hurting friends...isn't that what I did, too?_

Riku struggled to keep this surge of conflicting emotions under control. In such a situation, feeling the way he did and too agitated to think of any other response, Riku found that all he could tell was the truth.

"I didn't call you by his name. He's not controlling you--" _Not like he did me..._ "--but I can tell that he's there. He's inside you somehow. We've...experienced the same darkness."

_"So you've experienced the same darkness that I carry within me."_

Aros continued to stare at him for a moment, the anger fading from his eyes. Then his lips curled up in a smirk. "So you've finally remembered."

Riku just glared. "Do you know what happened to me four years ago, Aros?"

"You shut yourself behind Kingdom Hearts."

"That's not what I meant."

Aros's eyes flashed with anger again as he apparently caught what Riku had been implying. "My life is my own. My body is my own."

Riku found he wanted to scream at that response. It was the same... He had thought the same way... "How can you be so sure?" he demanded, trying to keep his voice as level as he could.

"Because this is my choice!"

"Your _choice_!?" A burst of anger surged through Riku, and he found that he couldn't hold it back. Nor did he want to. "It's your choice as much as it was mine! I _chose_ the darkness! I chose it! Twice! And I will regret it for the rest of my life! It took me, and I had no control over myself anymore! The same will happen to you. The same! It's only your choice as long as he allows it to be!"

"_He cannot control me!!"_ Aros screamed. He fired another ball of darkness at Riku, simultaneously lunging forward and plunging the Black Keyblade toward Riku's chest as if he didn't expect the youth to dodge.

And Riku decided not to move. He brought the Golden Keyblade up in front of him, and it began to glow. As Riku concentrated on it with all his might, Golden light flared up from the blade, engulfing the whole area in its brilliance. When the light had cleared, Aros was on the ground, having been blown some feet away from Riku, the Black Keyblade still clutched tightly in his hand.

Riku heaved a huge sigh, taking a step forward toward the boy. "He _can_ control you," he stated, not caring whether or not Aros was even still conscious. "And if you keep giving him that chance, someday he will."


	41. Desperation

Special thanks to my wonderful beta Akai Kitsune!

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 41: Desperation  
**

Sora felt the surge of warm energy finally fade, and the White Keyblade disappeared from his body. He opened his eyes to see Kairi sprawled before him, unconscious. Iraki had finally given out, too, and she fell forward beside Kairi, the White Keyblade having apparently disappeared within her. It was, after all, her Keyblade as well.

"Thank you," Sora whispered, even though he was sure they couldn't hear him. He could feel the new energy they had given him flowing within his body, and, for the first time since that night that Aros had betrayed him, Sora, very slowly, pulled himself to his feet. "Thank you," he repeated, then added softly, "But why? Why did you both give me everything like that?"

"Sora..." The voice was weak, probably sounding similar to the way his own voice had been not many minutes before, but it still caught Sora's attention. He began to lean down toward Kairi when he noticed one of Iraki's open green eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, leaning toward her and listening hard.

"I don't know...what happened to your Keyblade," Iraki choked out quietly. "Aros...he took it after we fought, but I think...he might not have it anymore." She gasped slightly and blinked, obviously struggling to keep her eyes open. The sadness and regret in them was unmistakable.

Sora was a little shocked to hear that Iraki no longer had his Keyblade, but he remembered her fight against Aros, and he couldn't resist feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to help her more. He wondered what exactly had happened to her after he'd sunk back into the darkness. But now certainly wasn't the time to ask. Right now, Iraki _should_ be sleeping. "Don't worry about it, Iraki!" Sora responded reassuringly, "I'm sure we'll get it back. You just rest now, okay? You guys shouldn't have...used so much energy for me."

"No..." Iraki breathed, her voice insistent. As tired as she was, there was something more she was determined to say before she gave in and went to sleep. Sora leaned in a little closer to her, realizing how important this had to be. He didn't want to miss her words. "Sora...Aros is here. Riku...he went to fight him. All alone. Outside the castle."

Sora's eyes widened, and he felt himself straighten and take an involuntary step back. "No..." Aros couldn't be here. How could he have known where to find them? But Sora realized that he didn't really have much recollection of what had happened. He remembered Riku chasing him around the castle, but he didn't even know how he had gotten here from Crossroads City in the first place.

_Aros is here...and Riku's fighting him alone!? So that's why they were so determined..._ "Thank you," Sora told Iraki, "Don't worry. Just get some sleep. I'll take care of it."

The determination that he was feeling must have carried over in his voice because Iraki gave an almost imperceptible nod, and her eyes finally fluttered shut. He watched her for a moment as her breathing deepened into the heavy, regular rhythm of sleep. Sora bent down behind the two sleeping girls and first picked Kairi up, leaning across the bed and laying her down carefully. Then he picked up Iraki and lay her down next to Kairi, pulling the sheets up to cover them both. The thought never even crossed his mind that this might be "wasting" his still-limited energy. Taking care of them, even in such a small way, was simply his nature to do.

Sora took one last look at the two peacefully-resting girls before he turned and headed out the door, shutting it quietly behind him.

The light in the hall was a surprise for Sora, and he couldn't help letting out a little cry and bringing up a hand to shield his already-blindfolded eyes. He brought his hand down and blinked for a moment, resisting the urge to pull the blindfold so low over his eyes that he wouldn't be able to see. His eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, and he looked around at the hall before him.

The hallway was completely deserted, but Sora doubted that this would be a problem. After spending four years at the King's Castle, he was certain that he could navigate its parallel with ease. He just had to keep in mind that all the directions were flipped.

Iraki had said that Aros was outside the castle. Sora could only assume that she had meant out front. _But I don't have my Keyblade or any weapon at all! I can't fight him like this. I need to... The Armory! I know where that is. I'll just have to get a sword before I can go help Riku... It'll be quick._

So Sora turned to head to the Armory, realized that he had his directions flipped, turned the other way, and rushed off down the hall.

* * *

Aros pulled himself to his knees, his chest heaving as he panted, "I...will not...lose...to _you_..." As Riku watched in shock, a green aura began to emanate from the boy--an aura that Riku knew well.

"_Shadow!"_ Aros cried as he surged to his feet, holding out both his hands before him.

It was a spell. Just another magic spell. But...

Riku hastily cast Aerora, holding the Golden Keyblade in front of him in the hopes that it would help block whatever this was that Aros was throwing at him. Riku tried to plant his feet, realizing that he was standing unsteadily. Blasting Aros with the Golden Keyblade had taken a lot out of him, but he gritted his teeth and tried to forget about it.

_And Aros...he just recharged afterwards. But it has to have worn him down...right?_

Riku's thoughts were interrupted as a tidal wave of darkness washed over him, cutting through the Aerora spell and covering him from head to toe. For an instant, he couldn't breathe, and pinpricks of cold cut into his body from all sides. A spell of pure darkness... This had to be the opposite of the light spell that he had seen from Ansem. But it seemed to be so much more powerful...

_What now?_ Riku thought desperately, _I put all my energy in that one shot._

"Why don't you just quit and let me pass?" Aros taunted, "You've worked on my side before, so you'll at least be willing let me by, right? Or maybe after this demonstration of power you'll even consider rejoining."

Hot, uncontrollable anger flared up in Riku at those words. "I will _never _work for the darkness again!" he cried, and for that moment, all worries fled his mind. He lunged forward, trying Aros's own tactic against him by casting Waterga with his left hand while striking with the Golden Keyblade in his right.

But Aros was completely unfazed by any of this. A wall of darkness materialized in front of him. Riku, in his rage, charged right into it. It felt like running into a wall of ice, except more chilling--spreading a coldness in his body that was more than just physical. Riku stumbled backwards, his head spinning. His limbs were heavy.

"I think you should pay for all the trouble you're causing!" Aros declared. The shield before him remained up, and he closed his eyes for a moment, his lips moving silently. Riku got into a defensive stance, forcing his limbs to continue to hold him, anticipating another spell from Aros.

But the spell never came. In fact, when Aros opened his eyes again, Riku still had no idea what he had just done. Aros seemed unconcerned, however, and simply dropped his shield, coming forward at Riku with the Black Keyblade extended. "First your heart, then theirs, then the heart of this world! All, all will be thrust into darkness!" Aros's voice was elated, maniacal. He was apparently distracted enough with his thoughts that he wasn't even concentrating on the battle. Riku took advantage of Aros's clumsy swing and ducked to the side, thrusting the Golden Keyblade up and feeling it sink into his opponent's stomach.

Aros let out a cry of horror and jumped back, almost managing to jerk the Keyblade right from Riku's grasp, but instead simply freeing it from his own body. The wound wasn't deep--Aros had pulled back fast enough to prevent Riku from thrusting the Keyblade in far--but it was no small gash, either. Aros's blood was already beginning to stain his shirt. He put a stunned hand to his wound, staring down at it in shock. "You will pay for that," he declared through gritted teeth, "You should have given up when I gave you the chance. But it's far too late now. Shadow!"

Riku tried to cast another Aerora spell, but he found that his magic reserves were running out, and he was only able to manage Aero. He braced himself, the Golden Keyblade held up in front of him, as that wall of shadow washed over him, chilling him so thoroughly that he could feel himself shaking. For a moment he was so numb that he couldn't even move.

"Can't you see, Riku? I thought you of all people would know!" Aros cried accusingly, straightening and striding toward his opponent. "All the power lies in the darkness. The light is nothing. Weak...pathetic...imperfect. Only through the perfection of darkness would you even have a chance. But no...you had all that power within your grasp, and you chose to give it up. And now I will make you regret it."

Anger flared in Riku once more. Aros didn't understand. Not at all...he just couldn't see... "You will _never_ make me regret giving up the darkness!"

Riku pulled himself from his lethargy, trying to force away the chill in his limbs through the heat of his anger. He lunged forward, jumping into the air with the intention of coming down over Aros and dealing a heavy blow.

But Aros just laughed, and another wall of darkness appeared both in front and above him, forming half a box of solid black. The Golden Keyblade connected with it, and more of that same cold seemed to travel up the blade and into Riku's hand. His strike slid off the shield, and he landed unsteadily before Aros, struggling not to lose his footing. He was so cold... Riku didn't even realize that his hand was now clutching at his heart. But every pore of his body could sense the severity of the cold that was growing there and the intense _pain_ that this cold was bringing him. _He's throwing pure darkness at me...and my heart is still susceptible to it..._

"Had enough yet, Riku?" Aros asked, smirking widely and allowing the shield to disappear so he could fire another ball of darkness.

Riku knew the cold was affecting him too much to be able to roll out of the way. He swung with the Golden Keyblade, hoping to deflect the shot as he had once before. But Aros had powered up since then. The ball of darkness pressed against the Keyblade as if it were a living thing, forcing back Riku's wrist. He gritted his teeth and put his other hand around the hilt as well, stepping to brace himself against the attack. Pushing forward as hard as he could, Riku finally felt the pressure on the blade abate, and the ball of darkness was sent whizzing straight back at Aros. A black shield appeared over the front of the boy, but rather than deflecting the blast, it seemed to absorb it. "Very good," Aros commented, "But can you do it again?"

Aros let down the shield and fired another blast, but this time he immediately followed it with a second ball of darkness. Both were headed directly for Riku, and the teen could tell that the impact would be all but simultaneous. He couldn't possibly reflect them _both_.

Riku did the only thing he could. He dove to the side, trying to roll away. But he was still freezing deep inside, still fighting off a frightening lethargy. He was too slow. Both blasts hit him full in the legs, and he felt as if they had just turned to ice. Riku lost his balance, falling face-first to the ground. He didn't think he could get back up.

Aros strode over nonchalantly as Riku struggled to force his legs to move. The cold in his chest was excruciating. _But I can't give up. I can't lose. I have to protect them! If I lose, what will happen to them?_

The Golden Keyblade flared with energy again, and Riku managed to pull himself to his knees so he could swing it. He felt the Keyblade itself collide with Aros's Keyblade. But the impact was accompanied by another blinding flash of golden light, and Aros let out a cry of pain.

As the light cleared, Riku looked up to find Aros standing with a hand to his stab wound. Riku's newest blast seemed to have deepened it, and the flow of blood that had been slowing was now running with renewed force. But a green aura flared around Aros again, darkening to black over the wound. As the aura faded, the black portion remained, covering the wound completely. Although Riku couldn't tell quite what it was doing, the flow of blood around the wound stopped, as if the darkness were acting as a sort of bandage.

"_Don't_ try that again!" Aros ordered, swiping at the still-kneeling Riku with the Black Keyblade. Riku reeled back, turning his head, but the blade still ran along his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.

"And now this ends..."

_NO!_ Riku's mind screamed. But his body was so heavy and cold now; all his energy was gone. _I can't lose this fight! No matter what it does to me, I can't lose! Sora! Kairi! ...Iraki..._

Riku stumbled to his feet, attempting to simultaneously move backwards away from Aros. He held the Golden Keyblade in front of him, trying to stand up straight as every muscle protested.

He was_ not _going to lose this fight. Not with so much at stake. And even if he did lose...then he would give everything first. _Everything_.

And even as Riku stood, shakily facing down his opponent, a flicker of movement caught his eye. He turned his gaze just barely, trying to glimpse whatever it was that was coming, and his heart almost stopped in shock.

Heartless. Hordes and hordes of Heartless were pouring toward the castle. As Riku stared in horror at what he was sure was going to be his demise, the first of the Heartless came up to the two duelers, and, amazingly, the crowd of shadows parted and went _around_ them. Two lines of Heartless now poured into the one open door behind Riku. As much as he wanted to stop them, he knew that he couldn't. He couldn't turn his back on Aros. So he turned his attention back to his widely-grinning opponent, tensing in preparation.

Aros narrowed his eyes at Riku, the smile fading from his features as he realized that Riku was intent on him and ignoring the Heartless. "Why!?" he demanded, "It's hopeless, but you still insist on defying me completely. I thought you'd understand me. You've made the same decision yourself. But you don't at all! Even now, when it's hopeless, you won't just give in. Why!?"

Riku stared at Aros for a moment, surprised at his vehement reaction. "Giving in would be too easy," he stated simply. Then he added, "No matter what I was before, I'm through with the darkness now." He could feel the tone of his voice turning bitter, but he forced himself to say a last few words. "I've realized my mistake."

"Mistake!?" Aros cried. He stared at Riku in shock, his body tensing in his anger, and his grip on the Black Keyblade tightening visibly. "Darkness is no mistake! Can't you see it? Can't you of all people see it!? Darkness is flawless, perfect. Light is weak, easily manipulated. Can't you see? Why do you side with the light when you've experienced the power that I have!? Why!? I..." Aros was shaking in anger now, but his voice quieted with these last words. "I used to admire your courage. But now..." Aros abruptly ran toward Riku, striking out with the Black Keyblade. "I know that you're nothing more than a fool!"

Even as sluggish as he was feeling, Riku still managed to angle the Golden Keyblade to block the blow. Aros pulled his blade back and struck again. Riku blocked again, and Aros struck again, again, again, the blows coming in quick succession, none of them very heavy or too fast for even a weakened Riku to block. Riku couldn't help noticing that Aros's fighting style had changed. Up until now he had been dealing slower, heavier blows, seeming to use no light blows at all. _He's trying to wear me down. He knows I don't have much energy left._ But even as he realized what Aros was doing, Riku could think of no way to combat against it. He had to get Aros to slow down somehow, or he had to get away from him for a moment so he could at least catch his breath.

_But what good will that do? I need to win this duel soon, or my energy is going to give out completely! And even when I use the Golden Keyblade against him, all he does is power up with more darkness. When I wounded him, though...is that darkness healing or just hiding his injury? Maybe if I can wound him enough physically..._

Riku jumped backwards, landing unsteadily on his feet. He managed to hold onto his balance, though, and immediately launched himself forward, hoping to plunge his Keyblade into Aros's chest before the teen would even have a chance to react.

He was too slow. Aros deflected his blow with the Black Keyblade and then seized the opportunity to blast Riku with another ball of darkness--this one striking Riku's chest at point-blank range.

Intense, paralyzing cold spread immediately from Riku's chest through all his limbs, his entire body going completely numb. He was thrown backwards from the blow, and he skidded limply into the closed door, hitting his head painfully on it. The world went black as Riku passed out for an instant, but then reality returned before his eyes. He blinked to clear them, his body still too numb for him to even think of moving. But after his vision had cleared, Riku's eyes widened in horror, and he put every ounce of his being into trying to get up. His body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds; he was barely managing to move at all.

And Aros was standing over him, grinning, the Black Keyblade held pointed at Riku's chest. He was just pulling it back to strike.

* * *

The Armory thankfully wasn't far off the path to the front of the castle. Sora went as fast as he could, but he could still feel the remnants of that strange fatigue clinging to his muscles and slowing his pace. The ache in his heart had faded significantly, but it had certainly not disappeared. It remained as a constant reminder that his fatigue was not just physical, but that his heart was still weakened.

As Sora went, he passed or, as happened more often than not, was passed by a multitude of soldiers, running in all directions, although most were headed the same way he was. They exhibited various levels of preparedness, some already in full armor with their weapons, others with weapons but no armor whatsoever, and even others wearing mismatched pieces of armor but not full suits. So the queen must have found out about Aros as well. Good. Aros was just one person, after all. Hopefully with the army helping, he and Riku would have a fighting chance against him. More than a fighting chance. But Sora couldn't seem to push away the growing pit of dread in his stomach. Somehow he could sense that this fight was not going to be easy.

Sora was about halfway to the Armory, just barely having turned off the path to the castle gates, when he heard a scraping sound coming from the hall behind him. Amongst all the noise of the scurrying soldiers, Sora was surprised he had even noticed the sound, but now that he had caught a hint of it, he listened hard. Something was coming from the direction of the gates. And it certainly wasn't any of the soldiers.

Sora rushed back toward the path leading to the gates. He felt like his heart had stopped. That scraping sound... There was only one thing that could be making it.

Reaching the hall he had come from, Sora turned and looked down it, finding himself face-to-face with the very sight that he had been dreading. An absolute army of Heartless was filling the hallway from wall to wall, and there wasn't a single one of the castle's soldiers visible within the flood. _No..._

Before Sora had a chance to do anything, the Heartless were upon him. They rushed over him in a wave, claws scraping at every inch of his body. Sora cried out in pain and desperation, thrashing his arms at his attackers as if he could hope to hold them off that way.

"Firaga!" Sora cried. It was strange to use the spell without the Keyblade--he doubted that he had aimed it at all--but it blew away some of the Heartless in front of him, and Sora attempted to turn and head back toward the Armory. After all, he couldn't do anything against Aros or the Heartless without a weapon. But he hardly even managed to move as more Heartless immediately took the place of the shadows that he had defeated, clawing at him savagely. "Thundaga!"

Again, the spell created a small opening that was filled by more Heartless before Sora had taken more than a step. And while the magic did seem to be allowing Sora to make tiny bits of progress, even he wasn't optimistic enough to believe that it could save him. He was still too weak; even after just two spells, he felt as if his magical reserves were getting close to exhausted. In fact, his whole body felt like all of its energy was being drained. With each passing second, Sora could feel himself growing weaker.

_My heart is weak, so the Heartless affect me. I can't fight them like this..._

Claws tore into Sora's chest, and a painful cold ripped through him. _No...not again..._ "THUNDAGA!" he screamed in desperation. The claws disappeared, and the cold lessened slightly, but it was still there, and Sora felt even weaker than before. His legs were about to give out...

_No! I have to fight them! I need to do something. There has to be some way...something I can do. I need a weapon, any weapon! I just need to get through them...I have to! I **will!!**_

There was a flash of light before Sora's eyes, and he felt a sudden weight in each of his hands. The Heartless nearest him had all been blown back by the light, and while they were quickly converging on him again, Sora had enough time to look down at what he was now holding.

In his right hand, to his relief, Sora found that he was clutching a very familiar object. The Silver Keyblade rested in his grip--a welcome sight indeed. But as surprising as the sudden appearance of his lost weapon was, especially at a time when his heart was terribly weak, it could not compare to Sora's shock as he shifted his gaze to his left hand.

In it he was holding a second Keyblade. But this was one that he had never held before, although he had seen it. It was the last Keyblade he had ever expected to find in his hand, and yet there it was, unmistakably in his grasp. For an instant, Sora adjusted his grip, running his fingers over the surprisingly smooth surface of the handle. Yes, it really was there. It was real. Sora was holding the Black Keyblade.


	42. The Choices of a Heart

Big thanks to Akai Kitsune! You wouldn't believe how fast she betaed this one. I never would have posted it now if not for her speed!

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 42: The Choices of a Heart  
**

A sudden flash of light caught both Riku and Aros off-guard. They stared, realizing with shock that it was coming from the Black Keyblade. In an instant, the weapon was engulfed completely in the brightness, and when the light cleared, the Black Keyblade was gone.

"NOOO!!" Aros screamed, looking down at his empty hand as if it were something alien. He took a few steps back, holding his hand out in front of him. "No..."

_So he **is** back._

_What!?_

Ansem sounded almost amused. _Sora, of course. Who else would be able to summon a Keyblade right out of its Master's hand besides the Keyblade's other Master?_

Aros's eyes widened. _No..._

_Is denying it going to do any good? If you went inside the castle now, I'm sure you would find him, **your** Keyblade in his hand._

_This..._

Ansem waited, curious as to what it was Aros seemed to be having so much trouble saying.

"_This is all **your **fault!!"_ Aros screamed aloud. He collapsed to his knees, putting his arms around himself and rocking back and forth. He could feel Ansem's alarm at the accusation, but he ignored it. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, feeling tears running down his cheeks. He didn't even look at Riku. He had forgotten that he was there.

"That Keyblade...is everything..." Aros breathed, still rocking. "How did he take it? _How!?_"

Ansem seemed to hesitate. When he did respond, it was very quietly, carefully. _His heart was stronger than yours._

"Stronger? _Stronger!?_ But he was just a Heartless. His heart was _gone! _ Is mine...is it so weak that...that whatever pathetic remains of a heart he has left could be _stronger!?_"

Ansem didn't respond, and Aros felt his horror quickly turning to anger. "It's because of the darkness, isn't it?"

No response.

"Isn't it!?"

Still no response.

"It's because of the darkness that I let inside! It's weakening my heart. I...I must be in danger of losing my heart. If Sora's could be stronger..."

Aros stopped rocking. His voice lowered to a whisper. "It's...because of the darkness..."

Aros reached inside himself then, feeling the darkness that flowed there, beautiful and perfect. And for the first time ever, he hated it.

"I..._need_...that...Keyblade..." He clenched and unclenched his left fist unconsciously. "It's what makes me important. It's the mark of my power. The mark of my destiny. It's what proves that I'm not just worthless and _can't just be left behind!_ It's what proves...that I'm not just worthless...I _need_ that Keyblade...I _need_ it..."

Hesitantly, Ansem broke into his thoughts, _You will get it back._

Aros scowled fiercely, rage rising within him, but then he abruptly switched his scowl to a grin. "Yes. Yes, I will."

_Aros?_ Ansem's voice held a tone Aros had never heard from him before--nervousness. _Aros...you aren't...?_

"It's the darkness. You won't say it, so it must be the reason I lost my Keyblade. So if I..."

_Aros, no! You can't! You need that darkness. Remember? You'll lose all your power, your magic. Your communication link with the Heartless. You wouldn't-_

"_I need that Keyblade!!_" Aros screamed, "It's more important than anything else. _Anything_!"

_Aros, we will get the Keyblade back another way. Just calm down, and-_

"NO!!"

And with that, Aros concentrated on the feeling of darkness within him and attempted to _pull himself out from its depths. _He could feel the darkness slipping away around him.

No...not slipping away. Being pushed away. By something inside him. A warm trail of blood began to flow from the wound Riku had inflicted as the darkness blocking it was removed. But Aros was not bothered by the renewed pain. It instead served to assist him in his task. Concentrating on the pain brought him back to the world, helped him free himself from the numbing cold of the darkness. But the warmth he felt inside him...that wasn't from the wound.

Aros could feel Ansem's shock and horror. _Aros! Stop this madness now!_ The man was desperate. But Aros didn't _have_ to listen to him. He was his own person. And the Keyblade was more important than anything Ansem had to say.

"I will not let my heart be engulfed in darkness! My heart is not that weak!!"

A sudden light flared around him then, and Aros felt a weight materialize in his left hand.

"It's..."

As the light cleared, Aros stared down at his hand. But even without being able to see the object there, he could feel the handle, familiar and comforting in his grasp. His eyes widened, and, for the first time in a long time, real joy filled them. "It's back..."

_Yes, it is! Now take back the darkness. Sora won't try to take it again._

"No!"

_Aros, what do you mean? Riku's still here! You can't fight without the help of the darkness! You won't be able to take their hearts._

"I don't care! I won't risk my Keyblade!!"

_Aros..._

"I won't risk my Keyblade!"

Aros jumped to his feet then, running clear past Riku, who was still stunned and trying to pull himself to his knees. Aros was inside the castle before either Riku or Ansem could react. He knew this was probably the perfect time to take Riku down, but Ansem was right on one account. All Aros's power had been based in that darkness. And Riku was so obstinate about not going down... If he were to get up again, how could Aros possibly fight him? But the others...if it had been possible, the others would have come to help Riku. So something must have happened. Something must have been wrong. And Aros had just taken a Keyblade from Sora, as well--if Sora really was back. Whatever situation that youth was in might have just gone from bad to worse. At the thought of the Keyblade, though, Aros realized what he was holding and the likely danger involved in doing so, and he dismissed the Black Keyblade within him.

Inside the castle, what Aros encountered could only be described as complete and total chaos. Every inch of ground was covered with a flood of black shadow and silver armor, the colors locked and twisted so tightly together in their close combat as to almost seem to melt into one another.

"Please, you have to help me!" Aros cried to the guards he encountered, "He's trying to get in! Where are the other Keyblade Masters? Have they been warned?"

_Deception...if you're thinking this clearly, then why are you insisting on keeping the darkness away? Sora won't take your Keyblade back._

_If he doesn't want my Keyblade, then why did he take it in the first place?_

_Perhaps the situation called for it. I wonder..._

_What?_

_His own Keyblade was lost. It may not have been yours that he wanted._

Aros's eyes widened. He tried to hide his reaction from the guards and keep his face from showing his shock. _He was trying to call his own Keyblade..._

_Yes._

_Then how did he end up with mine?_

_It's his Keyblade, too, is it not?_

_He took my Keyblade from me, and he wasn't even trying to call it!?_

"Hey, you okay?"

The voice of a guard pulled Aros from his thoughts. A large, burly man with a heavy sword was striking viciously at the Heartless between himself and Aros, fighting his way up to the boy.

"Yes, just please bring me to the others!" Aros responded when the man was within hearing range, "I have to talk to them! We need to figure out what we can do about _him_."

The guard nodded, watching Aros with concern. He was probably wondering why Aros wasn't still dueling the enemy Keyblade Master. The man's eyes then took in Aros's wound, and he seemed to assume that someone else was dueling and Aros, injured, had been sent in to get help. "Of course," he responded, "This way." He turned, starting into the castle, using his enormous sword to clear the path of as many Heartless as he could. Aros followed, staying close to the man and hoping the soldier didn't notice that the Heartless weren't clawing at Aros as one would expect them to. Aros would have liked to attack them to help solidify his facade, but he couldn't risk drawing his Keyblade, and his magic...well, he was afraid it might not work at all now.

_There is an easy way in which you could solve this problem._

_No!! I'm not going back into the darkness._

_But your mission remains the same?_

_Of course it does! Why would it change?_

_I wanted to be sure before I told you what a great opportunity you have right now to halt our enemies in their tracks._

Aros blinked, almost stopping. He covered up the hesitation by pretending to stumble. The guard glanced at him, biting his lip, and continued forward a bit faster, probably eager to get Aros in the company of others who could do more for him than the guard could. He was so busy being concerned about the teen that it apparently hadn't crossed his mind that Aros might be the very person who was trying to break into the castle.

_What do you mean a great opportunity?_ Aros questioned Ansem, trying not to sound _too_ curious.

He could feel Ansem smirk at his question. _You can stop them from being able to reveal the Final Keyhole._

Aros's eyes widened. The guard, thankfully, had turned back around. _How?_

Ansem hesitated for a moment before responding, perhaps debating whether to try to get Aros to take back the darkness again first. _Don't take the hearts of the White Keyblade Masters._

_What!? Why not?_

_I discovered from my other that the three of them can reveal the Final Keyhole without the need of the Princesses of Heart._

_But I thought we were supposed to prevent the Final Keyhole from being revealed!_

_Is stealing their hearts any safe guarantee?_ Ansem remarked pointedly. Aros scowled. He was about to snap back with an angry reply about how taking down the White Keyblade Masters would make sure no one got any stolen hearts back, but Ansem continued first. _And that world needs to be destroyed just as any other world does. In fact, it's so important that it would be best to destroy it on our own, instead of simply waiting for the tip in the balance to do it for us. Truly, destroying it would be of great help in causing the tip itself._

_So what am I supposed to do about them if not steal their hearts?_

_Why, capture one of them, of course._

_**What!?**_

_Careful. The guard is keeping an eye on you._

_But how am I supposed to capture one of them!?_

_Kairi and Iraki are both quite light. If you can get rid of the guard before you actually encounter the two, perhaps you can take them by surprise. And there must have been **some** reason Riku came to fight you alone. Carrying one of them unconscious shouldn't be hard to manage. And you know where the mirror is on this world._

_But..._

_What's wrong? Do you think you don't have the power to take one of them down?_

Aros's eyes narrowed at Ansem's snide comment. _This is Kairi and Iraki! I could take either--both--of them down easily. But what if they're not alone?_

_Ah yes, of course. Sora could be with them._

_You didn't think of that._ Aros said it more as a statement than a question, his tone slightly amused and slightly accusatory.

_If he is there, you'll have to be careful. He probably has his Keyblade again, and obviously his heart has **some** strength. With your power as low as you've just made it-_

_**I'm not drowning myself back in the darkness!** So stop encouraging it. My decision is made._

_But Aros, **why**?_

_Because I refuse to let myself be controlled!_

The guard before Aros stopped abruptly then, calling Aros's attention back to the outside world. Aros managed to stop just short of running into him.

"What-" Aros started to ask, but then he looked before them at a hallway seething with Heartless. The shadows were so densely packed that none of the castle's soldiers were visible among them. Aros's eyes narrowed, and he could feel a curiosity that was not his own piqued within him.

_Either a Keyblade Master or the World Heart--something has drawn them here._

"We'll have to go another way," the guard was saying, mopping the sweat from his brow with one hand while he attempted to give a few one-handed swings with his enormous sword to keep the Heartless around them at bay. Quickly he put his other hand back on the hilt, giving a powerful swing as he changed the direction in which he was walking. Aros frowned at the crowd of Heartless, wanting to head into them and find out who was there, but that could blow his cover--the Heartless wouldn't attack him. Also, if they were just after the World Heart and not the Keyblade Masters, it might mean losing his chance to find the Masters. So Aros turned reluctantly after the guard, who was already calling, concerned, for him not to get behind.

They fought their way--or really, the guard fought their way--deeper into the castle, and the crowds of both Heartless and guards that they encountered quickly thinned until they were all but nonexistent. Finally, the guard stopped in a hallway lined with doors.

"Ah..." the guard started, thinking. He pointed at a room. "Ka...Kairi and...Iraki..." He screwed up his face, trying to bring the names to mind. "And Sora. They're all staying in there."

_So he is here for certain, then._

Aros's eyes widened at the name as his last hopes of denial were crushed. _Shut up,_ he muttered irritably at Ansem.

"Thanks. You'd better get back and help them in the front," Aros stated, taking on a slight tone of authority. The guard's failure to mention Riku implied that he was probably mistaking Aros for him--a thought that made it hard for Aros to resist snickering--and if the guard thought Aros was one of their Keyblade Masters, then he had more authority than the guard did.

The guard frowned a little wistfully, probably either because he didn't want to return to the battle--which Aros rather doubted from a man like him--or because he'd wanted to see the other Keyblade Masters--an idea that made Aros want to roll his eyes. But the guard simply nodded. "Good luck," he stated before he turned and headed hurriedly back down the hall.

As soon as he was out of sight, Aros called the Black Keyblade back to his hand. He couldn't hear any noise from within the room. Hopefully the inhabitants hadn't heard Aros and the guard approach.

Aros stepped quietly up to the door. Without darkness or magic to use, the only way he could hope to catch his enemies off-guard with an attack was to immediately lunge with his Keyblade. At the same time, he couldn't steal their hearts...

_Aros, there **is** an easy solution._

_Shut up already about that! Haven't you figured out yet that I'm not going to do it? My heart will **not** be weaker than one that's almost lost in darkness! My heart...it will be **safe**; I won't risk losing it and failing my mission!_

_I will keep your heart safe, Aros! You will not lose it!_

_**I don't believe you!**_

Aros burst into the room at that instant, Keyblade out before him and no real plan in his mind. But he stopped short at the sight of the dark room. Scanning it, he could make out two figures on the bed. Otherwise the room was empty.

Stepping up beside the bed, Aros stared down at the two. Kairi and Iraki...and they were both fast asleep. A grin broke out on Aros's face. Things couldn't be more perfect.

He pulled the sheet back, looking down at the clothing of the two since, with their eyes closed, there was no other way to tell who was who. Iraki was the one next to him, and Kairi was across the bed. Aros frowned for a moment, then scowled and started heading around the bed.

He felt Ansem raise an eyebrow. _Taking Kairi?_

Aros scowled again. _Yes!_ he responded irritably. Then a smirk broke out on his face as an idea seemed to occur to him. _Yes..._ he murmured, _If Sora's back, then of course I'm taking Kairi._

Ansem raised another eyebrow and seemed unable to protest against that logic.

Aros lifted Kairi carefully, slinging her over his right shoulder so she wouldn't hinder his Keyblade arm. She didn't even stir, her sleep obviously that of extreme exhaustion.

_That must be what brought Sora back. Not just Kairi, but both of them, working together..._

Aros ignored Ansem's musings for the moment. He headed back around the bed, throwing one last glance at Iraki. He scowled contemptuously, forced himself to turn his attention to the door, and headed out, closing it behind him.

As Aros reentered the hall, he was met with a gasp. Turning, he saw a soldier standing just down the hall from him, and a group of four more could be seen slightly farther down, all heading toward him.

_Oh no...they must have figured it out..._

_You shouldn't have sent the guard back to the front. What if he saw Riku?_

Aros swore. He hadn't even thought of that. But it didn't matter now...he had Kairi. All the cards were in his hands--literally.

Keeping a firm hold on Kairi and pointing the Black Keyblade toward her, Aros faced the guards, his expression threatening. "Stop right there!" he yelled, "Get any closer, and you'll be one Keyblade Master less!"

Gasps and curses could be heard from the various guards, but they all stopped moving. Aros began to back his way down the hall. "Back up!" he yelled at the guards. None of them reacted. He made a thrusting motion at the air with the Black Keyblade. "I said, back up!"

Slowly, the guards all began to step backwards down the hall. Aros quickened his pace. Suddenly bumping into a wall, he turned to the right and headed off down another hallway at a run.

"Wha...?" Aros suddenly heard a voice, wispy and weak. He swore again. She was awake.

"Struggle at all and I'll stab you!" he cried in as threatening a tone as he could manage.

Kairi, however, completely heedless of his warning, or perhaps because of it and the fact that it revealed her current situation to her, began squirming almost immediately, kicking and trying groggily to free herself. "No!" she cried, "Let go!"

"Stop that!" Aros cried. He dropped her immediately, but before she could orient herself and scramble to her feet, he smashed the Black Keyblade down on her head. Kairi let out a groan and slumped to the ground, a thin trail of blood running down her forehead. Aros ignored it and picked her back up, slinging her roughly over his shoulder again. "No wonder Sora likes you. Wimp." He turned and continued down the hall. He didn't know how to get out of the castle, but he was sure he'd find his way eventually. And he could always get help from the guards. After all, as long as Kairi was in his possession, no one could do anything to stop him.


	43. Helplessness

Yes, I have returned! You don't even want me to get started on my excuses for what took me so long to finish this chapter... But, I am dead set and determined to follow this fic through to the end, so never fear!  
  
And that said, onto Chapter 43. Thanks so much to Akai for beta-reading. You're so awesome! And also a big thanks to all my wonderful reviewers for sticking with me through this!

-------------

**Reverse Side of Darkness**   
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 43: Helplessness  
**

It took a moment for what had happened to really sink in for Sora, but the claws of the Heartless digging into him quickly brought him back to reality. He began to swing at them with both Keyblades, trying desperately to force them away from him. He'd never wielded a weapon in his left hand before, but even wild swings were enough to take out Heartless when there were so many pressing in around him. And the Black Keyblade seemed heavier than his did... This allowed it to slice more easily into the enemies, but it also made it more clumsy for him to wield than it otherwise would have been. He didn't bother worrying about it. He felt just as much like collapsing as he had before the Keyblades had appeared, and he was still being swarmed over by Heartless. Now was not the time for speculation on Keyblade attributes.

But he had his Keyblade back, so if he had any magic left... Sora cringed. Ars Arcanum would work nicely to cut a path, but the amount of magic it would take was considerable. For him to be able to manage it in this state...

Sora squeezed the hilt of the Silver Keyblade, drawing strength from its comforting presence. No, he could do it. Kairi and Iraki had given all the energy they could to him, and he wasn't going to doubt their strength. He wasn't going to doubt his own strength. He had both the Silver and Black Keyblades now, so he must have called them both. Hopefully that was a good sign for how Riku was doing in the duel, but if it didn't mean that Aros was hurt...then maybe Sora had more strength of heart than he thought he did. Or Aros had less. And with so much at stake, what was one Ars Arcanum, anyway?

Sora concentrated on the Silver Keyblade, reaching deep inside himself for all the energy he could muster. The Heartless were clawing at him violently, and he could still feel fatigue weighing down his limbs. Just one spell...he just needed one spell.

"Ars Arcanum!"

And suddenly Sora was pounding through the Heartless, light engulfing both Keyblades as he struck with them at an amazing rate of speed. The Heartless gave way easily before him.

As the magic died from around the blades, Sora tripped, stumbling forward. He was definitely drained of magic now. And not just magic--he was almost completely out of energy. And still in the sea of Heartless.

"Out of my way!" Sora cried as he struck wildly at the Heartless still barring his path. He tripped again, his knees weak. _I have to get through them -now-. Otherwise...what if I pass out? I'll be gone! That darkness...it will take me again..._

Sora let out a cry of rage laced with fear. He would _not_ go back to the darkness. Never again would he let that happen to him.

And as Sora struck with a fading strength, he finally saw empty hallway beyond the Heartless. His swings renewed their force and accuracy as he fought to earn just a few more feet. He knew his whole body had to be a mess of scratches and gouges by now, but he ignored the burning pain from his wounds and did his very best to ignore his fatigue. He found that it was getting harder by the second to keep his feet from tripping over each other, and the Keyblades felt painfully heavy in his hands, but he wouldn't give in. No matter how tired he was, he wouldn't give in. The darkness would _not_ have him again!

And suddenly he was free. The Heartless were still swarming at him, clawing him from behind, but Sora broke into a run, stumbling and catching his balance desperately. He ran as hard as his legs would allow him to, heading away from the Heartless and the echoing sound of their scratching claws. He was down the hallway and around two corners before two very important pieces of information occurred to him. First, he had just run _away_ from the castle gates and helping Riku despite the fact that he was now armed. Second, he had no idea which direction he had just been running in.

Before he could figure out what to do, though, he was brought up short by a sudden pull on the Black Keyblade. It was as if someone had grabbed it and was trying to jerk it away from him. Sora gritted his teeth and held on, but the sensation was very familiar, enough so that he felt tempted to sigh and let the inevitable happen without putting up a fight--but he wouldn't just give up. Despite his best efforts, though, the Black Keyblade disappeared in a flash of light.

_Aros took it back._

Sora collapsed to the ground against the wall, leaning his head back on the cool plaster. What now? His eyelids were heavy, and every muscle in his body protested at the thought of anymore moving around. All Sora wanted at that moment was to go to sleep.

_No! I have to help Riku! Kairi and Iraki didn't give me this energy just for me. It was for him, too! And Aros has his Keyblade back now! I can't leave Riku to fight him alone..._

Sora's eyelids were drooping. The Silver Keyblade disappeared within him without his really being aware of it happening. His head slid slightly across the wall.

_But...how can I get to Riku? There's no way I can get through those Heartless..._

And is Riku really still out there when all those Heartless are here now?

Sora's head jerked back up at that thought. For those Heartless to enter from the front gates meant they must have passed Riku. And Heartless...they didn't just _pass_ people. Not people with hearts, anyway. The fact that they were in the castle now probably meant...

_No, Riku and Aros must have just gone somewhere else! I...I would have known if Riku...right? I would have...felt it or something, right?_

But...if he is somewhere else now, still fighting Aros, how can I find him?

Sora's eyes were closing again. He didn't want to admit it, didn't even want to think the words, but he knew, deep inside, the truth was that he _couldn't_ help Riku. Not now, not in this state. That sea of Heartless had been too much for him. His borrowed energy was gone.

_No! I have to do -something-. I can't just stay sitting here! But what can I do?_

And as Sora thought and wondered, trying to convince himself that he was able to do something and to figure out what that something was, he failed to notice that he was floating ever closer to the realm of unconsciousness.

But Sora really didn't have to worry about falling asleep. A sudden sensation pulled him completely back to reality and made him leap to his feet so fast that he got dizzy and had to lean against the wall for support.

That _feeling_ that had hit him then...it had pierced right into his heart. Horror, fear, and then an awful pain and finally...nothingness. The emotions were so strong that Sora had felt them as if they were his own. A heart was crying out to him for help...

"Kairi!"

His fatigue forgotten for the moment, Sora turned and dashed off down the hall, a hand over his heart as he concentrated on the sudden ache there that he knew would lead him to her.

It stayed as he ran, incessant and pounding. As much as the feeling terrified him, and as much as it hurt and distracted him as he tried to concentrate on his feet and not falling over, he was glad for it. Because as long as he could feel it, it meant Kairi still had her heart.

But what had happened to her!?

Sora found himself passing by the room where he had stayed. The door was open, and he almost stopped to check inside. Maybe she would be there. Or at least Iraki would be, although, if something had happened to Kairi, who was to say that something hadn't happened to Iraki as well? But maybe Iraki would be in there and would know something... That ache was pulling on him, though, keeping him from slowing down. He couldn't keep himself up much longer. If he were to go look in that room, he might not be able to make it to wherever Kairi was. Or what if that short stop made him too late? So Sora kept moving, trying not to stumble, keeping his mind on that pounding ache in his chest. _I'm coming to help you, Kairi. I'm coming!_

He felt as if he were wandering aimlessly through the hallways. There didn't seem to be any particular destination that he was headed toward. At least, not one that he knew of. He hadn't spent much time in the back area of the castle, and some of the hallways seemed very unfamiliar, more so than just because everything was flipped.

But finally he reached a point where he could hear the sound of footsteps. His eyes widening, Sora tried to pick up his pace. He tripped as a result, almost falling face-first to the ground, but he just barely managed to keep his balance. Sora continued forward as fast as he could, stumbling his way down the hall and around the corner.

The sight he met with there caused him to stumble in pure shock. Aros was headed toward the end of the hall, Black Keyblade in his hand and _Kairi_ slung over his shoulder.

"Kairi!" Sora cried without thinking. She was obviously unconscious, and all the yell did was let Aros know he had a visitor. But Sora was too astonished to think until the words had already left his mouth.

Aros turned at the sound of his voice, and his eyes widened as he saw who was behind him. "YOU!" he screamed in anger, his eyes flaring with a hatred that momentarily stunned Sora. "She brought you back, didn't she? _Didn't she!?_" He gestured with the Black Keyblade at Kairi, jostling her but eliciting no response from the girl.

"Put her down!" Sora demanded, ignoring Aros's accusations. He called the Silver Keyblade to his hand and started forward toward him.

"_Stop!_" Aros roared, "Right there! Not another step or her heart is gone!"

Sora's eyes widened, and he froze. _Kairi..._ His mind was racked with indecision. What should he do? If he tried to get close, Aros could stab her! But...if he didn't do anything...

At Sora's reaction, a smirk broke out on Aros's face. "It hurts, doesn't it? To see the one you love with someone else?"

"What are you doing!?" Sora cried, "Give her back!"

"Why?"

Sora opened his mouth to reply, but his words died on his lips. Yelling at Aros would accomplish nothing. What should he do? What _could_ he do? Aros had Kairi in his arms with his Keyblade pointed at her! Any time he wanted, he could steal her heart. And there was _nothing_ Sora could do! "Wh-what do you want?" Sora choked out finally.

Aros grinned. "Your Keyblade."

Sora took an involuntary step back. "My...Keyblade?"

Aros nodded. "But not now. Think about it. I'll wait for your answer." With that, he turned, still grinning, and continued down the hall.

"Wait!" Sora cried desperately. He tried to surge after Aros, but the attempt pushed his legs too far. Sora's knees gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. "No! Kairi!" His yells were fading to whispers. Sora dismissed his Keyblade, putting his hands to the floor and trying to pull himself back up, but to no avail. That last mad dash had been all he could manage. "No! No, he can't have her! Kairi!" Sora pressed his hands to his heart, feeling the ache that was still there, just as strong as ever. Tears began running down his cheeks. "I'll save you, Kairi! I promise! I'll find you and bring you back! No matter what! No matter what..."

Exhaustion overcoming him, Sora fell forward, slipping into unconsciousness before his head hit the floor.

-------------

Aros had made it past him.

Riku, after dismissing the Golden Keyblade to give himself a bit more energy and free up a hand, had finally managed to pull himself to his feet. He wanted to dash into the castle, but he wasn't sure if he could move forward. His whole body still felt like ice, and he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to take even a step without collapsing back to the ground. But there was no point in staying here like this. No, not when Aros was in the castle and Sora, Kairi, and Iraki were all in danger. If there was any possible way he could do something for them, he needed to do it, and he needed to do it _now_.

But how could he catch up when he was in this state? How could he help to stop Aros? _What could he do!?_

_I just have to get to them before he does...if I can reach them, maybe..._

Riku didn't want to think that it was already too late. He didn't want to decide that it was over and that he had already failed.

He couldn't fail them...

Riku forced himself forward. It felt like trying to walk with blocks of ice. He leaned on the wall for support, taking large and clunky steps. Now that he was upright, he could feel a trickle of blood running down the side of his head from where he'd hit the castle door. He ignored it, though, steering himself through the still-open door and into the castle.

The front hall was filled to capacity with a surging mass of Heartless and soldiers. Riku kept himself against the wall, knowing that he wouldn't be able to stay upright without its help. He was freezing; every part of him was freezing. It was like a blanket of cold had been thrown over his body and he couldn't get out from underneath it. Except this cold wasn't coming from the outside. It was _inside_ him, causing him terrible pain and terrifying him to his very core. He didn't know how to get rid of it. And everything just felt so _heavy_. How long could he stay up?

"Hey, you!" came a cry suddenly, rising above the mass of battle sounds. "Stop him!" the same voice added, desperation apparent in its tone, "It's the dark Keyblade Master!"

Riku's eyes widened. _They think I'm Aros!_

The surprise caught him off-guard enough that he lost his precarious balance, collapsing to his knees on the ground. "Riku," he choked out, and he was shocked by how his voice caught in his strangely-dry throat, "I'm Riku." Suspecting that a name wouldn't be sufficient proof--it was likely that Aros himself was the reason this man thought Riku was the enemy--Riku reached inside himself with what energy he had left. He called the Golden Keyblade back to his hand, startled by how much he felt the strain of doing such a simple thing. "See." He gestured weakly with the Keyblade, hoping to make its color obvious to them. They _had_ been notified that the "dark" Keyblade Master had a Black Keyblade, hadn't they?

A large, burly guard with an enormous sword came up before him, staring down at his Keyblade with a horrified look on his face. "_You're_ Riku!?" he cried, his voice very frightened--an emotion Riku was surprised to hear so vividly from a man of his appearance.

_Aros pretended to be me, didn't he? He got past the guards because he said he was me!_

Riku nodded at the man, swallowing hard and trying to fight off his dread. He had let Aros pass, and then Aros had gotten into the castle because the guards had thought that he was Riku. It was almost more than Riku could take. He had fought so hard, doing everything he could to help, and all he had really done was make things worse. So much worse... "Yes, I'm Riku," he repeated, his voice cracking.

"But I..." The guard turned, reaching out a big hand and putting it on the shoulder of a soldier rushing past behind him, stopping the portly, red-headed man in his tracks. "The dark Keyblade Master is inside the castle! _Inside_. He's blond and has a wound in his stomach, and he's with the other Masters!"

"What!?" Riku attempted to surge back to his feet and succeeded only in getting tangled in his frozen limbs and falling face-first back to the floor.

_Blond...wounded in the stomach...that's Aros. But...this guard took him to the others? He's with Kairi, Iraki, and Sora!? No...no, he couldn't have gotten there already... How could everyone just think he was me? And...if he's already with them..._

"Hey, you okay?" The guard was leaning over him now, trying to help him up into a kneeling position. But Riku's limbs didn't want to cooperate.

_This can't be...Aros can't be after them..._

"Hey? Hey, can you hear me?"

_I have to...I have to do something..._

"Hey, hold on! Stay with me."

_I can't...so cold..._

"Don't worry about me," Riku choked out. His voice sounded not only dry now but oddly quiet. But he couldn't waste any energy thinking about that. "Go after him! Protect them. You...you have to protect them!"

_I...I told Kiru I would take care of her..._

"Just hold on! Are you wounded? Where did he hit you?"

_My heart....my heart's all that's wounded._

"No, I'm just...I..."

He was losing, wasn't he? It felt colder now. The guard's hands on his arm felt distant.

_No! I have to help them..._

"Don't worry about me. Go! Go help them..."

The guard was shaking him. Riku was only dimly aware of it.

"The other guards are taking care of them; don't worry. Hey! Hey, stay with me! Stay with me! Riku? Riku, stay with me."

"I have to...to take care of her..."

"Somebody, get a medic! A Keyblade Master is hurt!"

Riku wanted to protest again, but he found that he was too tired and cold to move his mouth anymore. _I'm sorry. I couldn't keep my promise, Kiru... I'm sorry..._

And finally the darkness and cold closed in around him, the words of the guard fading into the distance.


	44. Pursuit

I have returned! Yes, I am well aware that it has been four and a half months to the day since my last update. I can't give any excuses besides to say that life is crazy and that I _do_ write other things at times. But I haven't given up on this fic, nor do I plan to!

In other news, I've made quite a few updates to my RSoD Fanwork page. I can't believe people are still sending me such awesome things after all the time I've left you hanging... I love you all so much! The link to the page is on my profile; I seriously recommend you check it out!

If it helps make up for the wait at all, this chapter is a really long one I hope you enjoy it! And a major thanks to Akai! She betaed this chapter multiple times for me and was generally a huge, awesome help. Love ya, Akai!

-------------

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 44: Pursuit  
**

Iraki awoke to the sound of yelling from outside the room. She turned her head toward the door, surprised at how tired she still felt and the amount of effort moving took. "Kairi?" she asked quietly, wondering if her companion were awake yet. She turned her gaze toward the other side of the bed, and her eyes widened. Kairi was gone. _But...where would she go? She didn't go after Sora, did she? She couldn't! I'm still exhausted, so she must be, too. Would she really have gone after Sora and Riku in a state like that? No, she wouldn't! The White Keyblade isn't even any good for fighti..._

Iraki gasped. The White Keyblade. She remembered Kairi passing out first and the White Keyblade staying in her own hand. So when she herself had passed out, had it...?

Iraki willed the Keyblade to appear, and immediately she was holding it, although she almost dropped it in shock. The White Keyblade _was_ in her possession again. Kairi didn't even have a weapon! There was _no _way she had gone after Sora. She just wouldn't have done that.

_So then where did she go? She has to be somewhere._

More yelling from the hallway pulled Iraki from her thoughts, and she remembered that it was noise that had woken her in the first place. _Oh no...what's happening?_

Pulling herself up, she ignored her protesting limbs and made for the door, opening it and peering nervously out into the hallway.

"Has he been back here?"

Before Iraki had fully taken in the commotion in the hallway, a portly guard was standing in front of the doorway, barking concise questions at her and blocking her view.

"He? Who? What's happening?" Iraki stammered, pulling the door farther open, although she was doing it less to let the guard in than to give herself a better view. Guards were running back and forth before her like madmen, although most appeared to be headed down the hall. They were all yelling amongst themselves, and Iraki caught snatches of their cries--they were trying to determine "his" position and shouting updates on the infiltration of the Heartless. None of it sounded like good news, but her attention was captured the most by the fact that they were reporting areas where the Keyblade Masters _weren't_. If they were reporting where the others weren't, then...

"Where are they?" Iraki cried, not even waiting for a response to her early questions. "Kairi. And Sora and Riku. Are they okay? What's happening?"

"Which one are you?" the guard responded gruffly. He then seemed to go over a mental list, eliminating the names of the Keyblade Masters she had asked about. "Iraki?"

Iraki nodded. "Yes. But the others?"

"The guards up front have Riku. They're making their way back here with him."

Iraki's eyes widened at that. _"Have" Riku? What!? Is he okay? Wait, if he's coming back here...is Sora fighting Aros all **alone**? Or... could Riku have won? No. A commotion like this wouldn't still be going on if he won, would it? So then why...?_

"What do you mean? Is he okay?"

The guard shook his head, his expression as lost as hers. "No one knows what happened. The Black Keyblade Master made it into the castle, and Riku came in afterwards. He passed out, but he isn't wounded. The doctors declared it was from exhaustion."

_Exhaustion? No, Riku couldn't have. But...wait. Aros made it into the castle!?_ Iraki could feel herself starting to tremble. Things were wrong. Things were so horribly wrong. She wished she knew the whole the story, but then again, she wondered if she really wanted to. "And Sora and Kairi?" she asked, her throat tight now.

"They aren't with you?"

_They aren't with me!?_ Iraki stared at the guard for a moment. He made it sound like... _Like the guards thought all three of us were still in the room. Like none of them have seen Kairi **or** Sora since I last saw them._ "No, they're not there. Sora left a while ago to help fight Aros, and I don't know what happened to Kairi. You...haven't seen them?"

"Sir!" a cry rose distinctly out of the crowd. Iraki turned to find a young and lanky doglike soldier running up to the portly man, who was still standing just outside the doorway. "The Black Keyblade Master hasn't been located yet, Sir, but some guards saw him fleeing. Reports say he's taken another Keyblade Master hostage and is using her to escape."

"_What!?_" Iraki cried. _Another Keyblade Master...using **her**...Kairi! Aros has Kairi? No...no way..._ "How? How could he...I was here...no." Iraki was shaking her head, but the movement was unconscious. She stared at the guards, her eyes pleading for some sort of explanation. _I helped Sora just a little while ago. I couldn't have just failed again! Was I **that** tired? Could Aros have taken Kairi and I **slept** through it? And Sora...he never made it to Riku. And something's wrong with Riku, and..._ Iraki gasped. _Aros is leaving with Kairi, and I'm the **only** Keyblade Master who isn't missing or hurt!? But I...what can I do? I...I can't just let him go... I have the White Keyblade. Maybe... But I can't fight! Would he...maybe he would take me instead...?_

Her mind stopped dead at the thought. Give herself up to Aros, knowing what he had become? After all the time she'd spent fighting him, after what he'd done to Sora, what he'd done to _her_, how could she possibly do that?

_But it's the only thing I can do._

She bit her lip, warring with herself. So many emotions were in turmoil within her--her need to make a difference, to not fail for once, her fear of Aros, her worry that giving herself to him was akin to giving up. And she could still feel that cold feel deep within, beckoning to her.

_I...can't give up. I can try to fight, maybe, but..._

_But nothing else could make a difference besides giving myself to him._

Unable to come to a decision, she finally shook her head, trying to chase all the thoughts away. Whatever she was going to do, she needed to find Aros first, so she should just focus on that for now. "Where is he? Where did they see Aros?"

The other guard turned to her in surprise, apparently not having noticed her before then. His eyes widened, and Iraki couldn't help lowering her gaze. He was startled and impressed to meet her; his whole face said so. Because she was a Keyblade Master.

_Don't look at me like that. I'm no hero. Everyone else is in danger, and I was in here **sleeping!**_

"Ah...he was seen toward the back of the castle. His destination couldn't be determined, though," the guard explained, tense and eyeing Iraki nervously.

"Can you take me there?" Iraki looked up at the guard again, her eyes holding a mixture of emotions--fear, worry, despair, hope...determination.

_I have to do **something.** Even if it means nothing in the end._

The guard stared for a moment, his expression seeming to say,_ "Me!?" _Then he finally replied in a slightly shaky voice, "Yes, of course. I'll escort you. This way."

Iraki nodded back, stepping out of the room. It was only then that she realized the portly guard, who had apparently gotten all the information out of her that he needed, had already disappeared back into the commotion of the hallway.

But as she followed the canine guard, the noise level suddenly went up distinctly. Iraki turned to find the crowds of guards parting to make way for a single man. No...not a single man. This burly, oversized guard was carrying someone else on his back. Although the person was facedown on the man's shoulder, Iraki couldn't fail to recognize that silver-haired head. But admittedly, since the eyes weren't visible, for a second she _did_ mistake the identity, and her heart leapt into her throat only to come crashing back down immediately. _No. It's not him. But...it's Riku._

She made to run over to him to see how he was--if he were just out from exhaustion or if it were something worse--but then she stopped, hesitating. Kairi. Aros was trying to escape with Kairi. There was no time for her to check on Riku now. If she found out that something _was_ wrong, there was no way she could stay and do anything to help him, and how could she leave if she was certain he needed her? He was with the guards; he was safe, and if she went to him now, she would lose her chance to help Kairi. Iraki let out a choked noise--something akin to a sob--and forced herself to turn away and back toward the guard. He was waiting for her, looking uncertain, as if he too could feel the urgency but didn't think it was his place to stop her if she wanted to go to Riku. He nodded as she turned back to him, his expression relaxing slightly. Then he turned and continued on. Iraki forced herself to follow without looking back, comforting herself with reminders that Riku was with the guards. He was safe. He would be all right. Kairi, on the other hand...she was with Aros, and just that fact meant that she was in horrible danger. If Iraki didn't get to her _as quickly as possible_, Kairi would be gone; there would be no saving her. Riku would be all right for a while. He would be. It was just exhaustion...he didn't need her...he would be all right...

_And if it's not just exhaustion? If his heart is hurt? If Aros did something? If the White Keyblade can heal him? If he needs **me**, then what? He...he promised to take care of me. He **is** taking care of me; he stayed with me and tried to help me even when he could see that I...that I was slipping toward the darkness. That I **wanted** to slip toward the darkness. And now, when maybe I could help him, I'm..._

She forced those thoughts aside. This was not the issue now. As much as she wanted to concentrate on Riku's importance, she couldn't afford to. _Riku would want me to help Kairi. He looked like he was just unconscious; nothing bad is happening to him now. He can wait. As soon as I help Kairi, I can come back and..._

_No, no I can't. I won't be coming back. Even if I don't **give** myself to Aros, if I try to fight him alone instead, I bet I'll..._

_Riku, I'm sorry... I'll get the White Keyblade to Kairi. If you need healed, I'm sure she'll do it. Thank you for taking care of me. But don't worry! You don't have to worry about me anymore. And I'll get Kairi back to you somehow. I will!_

"Please hurry," Iraki urged the guard, "If he's trying to escape, we don't have any time to lose."

The guard nodded and picked up his pace. He and Iraki began darting between the guards in the hallways, headed on a twisted path deeper into the castle. The guard soon slowed, however, looking around him, glancing down halls, and hesitating before making turns. "If he hasn't gotten too far, he should be somewhere in this area," he whispered to Iraki. The dog was looking terribly nervous again, although that was probably because of the uncertainty of the situation. Iraki had already expressed that Aros needed to be found _now_, and with his position only vaguely known, it just wasn't that easy. Not to mention the poor guard was helping to seek out the most dangerous person in the castle. Nothing about this mission could have been easy for him.

"We're getting close to the back of the castle," the guard remarked, his face drawn as he continued looking all about him as if he expected Aros to pop out of anywhere, even the hallways they had just come from. But glancing down a turn, the guard suddenly stopped short with a startled cry. "A Keyblade Master!" he exclaimed, dashing down the hall without waiting for Iraki to come up beside him.

_A Keyblade Master? Aros?_

At that moment, with the confrontation apparently at hand, the full gravity of what Iraki was planning to do came crashing down on her. Or...what she wasn't quite planning to do, anyway.

_Fighting him would be pointless. How can I possibly help Kairi by doing that? He already defeated me even with Sora helping me!_

But if she was going to offer to go with Aros, she would be letting him take her away to who-knows-where to do who-knows-what, and she might never come back from it. Iraki couldn't help the small gasp that left her throat at that thought. Aros--this was Aros. But...it wasn't. Whatever he had become wasn't the Aros that she had grown up with. Although at times small pieces of him still seemed to be there, it wasn't him. And this new Aros terrified her. She couldn't know what he really wanted or what he would do. In fact, how had he gotten Kairi in the first place? Had he really snatched her out of the very bedroom that both she and Iraki had been in? And if that was the case, then _why_ had he ignored Iraki completely? If he had ignored her then, would he really want her now? Was there some reason he had taken Kairi instead? In short, would offering herself in Kairi's place really work any better than trying to fight him?

_If he refuses, I can try something else. Distract him or something, give her some chance to get herself away from him. I have to do anything I can. Maybe if I tried offering myself and **then **attacked him? I could cast a stop spell, maybe. If he's not too powerful to keep that from stopping him... Aros...what happened to you? What changed you?_

But she couldn't delay this any longer. No matter what was coming, she needed to go to him. Kairi needed to be saved somehow. She was a White Keyblade Master and vitally important to both Sora and Riku. And she...she knew what she was doing. She wasn't a failure...

And even more than that, Iraki was without Kiru. How could she allow her cowardice to keep Kairi and Sora from happiness when she didn't have any reason to stay with the others in Kairi's place? Except... No, Riku wasn't Kiru. She didn't feel that way--not in so short a time. At least, that was what she told herself. But her emotions were so confused, so twisted. They had been so toyed with and mixed up and strained and overexcited and so many things that, truly, she didn't even know what to think anymore. But in any case, Kairi was at stake, and if she could save Kairi, she knew that was what she would do, no matter what it meant for herself.

Taking a deep breath, Iraki finally started down the hallway. She was surprised to find, however, that the guard was crouching down on the floor beside a figure that he was blocking from Iraki's view.

_Did Kairi get away from Aros?_ Iraki took off at a run down the hall, but when she did reach the figure, she stopped in her tracks. "Sora!"

The guard had apparently turned him over so that he lay face-up in the middle of the hall. He was unconscious, his body covered with cuts and gouges that told of a run-in with some immense group of Heartless. His breathing was slightly strained, and Iraki couldn't help noticing that he was lying too still. As if...

_His heart...he's out of energy again. We didn't do enough for him; it wasn't healed yet! And then he got hurt, and now he's in bad shape again..._

A thought occurred to Iraki then. If Sora had gotten himself hurt badly enough to knock him out, then how had he gotten away? And even if he'd managed to get away, how had he wound up here? There weren't any Heartless in this area of the castle, were there? So what was he doing here?

"Cure." Iraki cringed as she felt a strain at casting just that single spell. She was still short on energy herself. But Sora's cuts and gouges faded so that only the worst of them remained. "Sora?" she called gently, "Sora, can you hear me?" No response. Not that she had expected one, but she had been hoping. _He's so still... I wish I had more energy to give him. And...and Kairi...she can't help._

Kairi...she was running out of time! If she stayed here with Sora, who would save Kairi? She now knew for certain that both Sora and Riku were unconscious. She really was the only one who could help. "Please, bring him back to the room with Riku," Iraki directed the guard, "And be really careful! Don't let the Heartless _near_ him."

The guard nodded at her instruction. He was tall and strong enough that he was able to pick up the eighteen-year-old with relative ease, especially considering Sora's slight frame. The problem, of course, was that this left him no hand for his sword. "I'll go back to my main unit," he stated, probably guessing that Iraki was concerned, "I'll get some of them to come with me. Don't worry, Miss Iraki. We'll keep him safe."

And with that, the soldier turned and headed back down the hallway. Iraki watched as he went, unable to tear her gaze away. She was all alone now. No one, injured or otherwise, was there for her to focus her attention on. She had only her mission, along with a dread that she would fail again that was welling up inside her. Although at the same time, she couldn't help but dread what it would be like if she succeeded. If Aros took her in Kairi's place--this Aros, who was so completely unlike the Aros that she had grown up with--she had no idea what he would be willing to do, and that...that was terrifying.

_And if I fight him instead, will the outcome really be any better for me?_

Iraki took a deep breath, trying to renew her resolve. _All I've done is fail this whole time. The one thing I did right was help protect Sora's heart, but now it's in danger again, and Riku's in danger, and Kairi...she's being taken away from Sora. I can't let that happen. I **can't**! Sora needs her to heal him. Riku might need to be healed, too. I...this is the only thing that I'm good for. I can use the White Keyblade, but...I'm not Kairi to either of them. And she...she's the one they need--not me. I have to do this. She's the important one. It doesn't matter what happens to me as long as I save her. It...doesn't matter what he does to me. It doesn't! I don't care. If I can succeed for once, then the consequences aren't important. Kairi, Sora, Riku...I'm doing this for you._

And with that, Iraki started back down the hall. She hadn't gone far, though, when she realized the fatal flaw in her plan. The guard had brought her this far on Aros's trail, but she had no idea where he'd gone from this point.

_His path didn't seem to be leading anywhere. At least, that's what the guard said. But he had to have been going **somewhere**. Where would he have been taking Kairi? I thought he'd be trying to escape...or...was he? Maybe he was lost. So he would have been trying to wander outside. If I can get out there faster than he can... But...I don't know my way around the castle. The guards..._ She turned around to see if she could go back and get a guard to help her, but she had already lost track of where she'd come from. _I just have to hope and keep going. I have to find them. I have to save her. I can't fail again. I can't fail again..._

She could feel the cold that was still there, deep within her. If she were to fail again, she knew that it would come back. It would attack her, and there was no one to protect her from it this time--not Riku, not even Sora. She would have to fight it all alone. And she would lose.

_I have to save Kairi. I have to! **I have to!**_

Iraki continued her twisted path through the castle, eyes scanning desperately, searching for any windows--any glimpses of daylight or the surroundings. Or the people she was searching for...

And suddenly she found that she had walked into a spacious kitchen. If there was one room in the back of the castle that should lead outside, this was it!

Iraki ran through the kitchen, the sound of her feet on the tile echoing in the empty room. There was a large door in the back. Yanking it open, she found the outdoors.

Iraki rushed outside, regaining the same momentum she had acquired during her dash through the kitchen. She looked around frantically. She couldn't be too late. They had to be out there somewhere...

_The mirror! He'll be headed for the mirror. I just have to get there!_ Iraki almost stopped in her tracks at that thought. It was true that getting to the mirror was probably all she needed to do. The only problem was that she had gotten to this world through the destruction of Crossroads City, which meant she had no idea where the mirror was. _I saw it when Kairi came here. It was in a cave of black stone. But...where would a cave be? All I see is a forest._

She started forward aimlessly, keeping her eyes open for anything around her that could help. It hadn't taken her that long to find an exit. Could Aros still be inside, wandering around the castle and trying to find one?

No...she caught a glimpse of color between the trees. Someone else was wandering through the forest.

"Aros!"

There was another glimpse of color, and this time it stayed put.

"Who's there?"

Iraki gasped at the voice. It _was_ him. She took a deep breath and continued toward him more slowly. Her heart had started pounding. "It's Iraki."

She heard no response, but Aros stayed in place. She moved cautiously between the trees, aware that he was probably watching her as closely as she was watching him.

"What do you want?" Aros finally demanded as Iraki drew close to him.

"Kairi."

"What!?" Aros burst out, laughing. "Did you think I would just _give_ her to you, Iraki? Did you think I would listen to you because a long time ago I loved you? Is that what you were thinking?"

"No." Iraki's voice was shaking. She swallowed hard. _I have to decide now. What do I do? Can I really...I should offer myself to him... No. I can't! I have the White Keyblade. I can fight! But...but how would fighting him save her when I know I'm going to lose? But I can't just let him have me. I **can't**._

She reached the clearing then and ventured slowly between the trees. There was Aros with Kairi slung over his shoulder, unconscious. But Iraki's gaze was not on Kairi. It was focused solely on Aros and that horrible glint in his eyes that so completely wasn't him.

"Then what, Iraki?" Aros demanded mockingly, "What could _you_ possibly hope to accomplish by coming here? Are you planning to fight me? Is that it?" Aros laughed again. "Then go ahead! Attack!"

Iraki's whole body began to tremble, and she choked back a sob. _He wants me to fight him because he knows it's futile. Kairi's unconscious; she can't run even if I can buy her some time. I...have no choice. I have to offer myself to him. There's no other way to save her. I...I have to. There's nothing... _Tears began to fill her eyes, and she gritted her teeth, trying to hold onto her determination. _I have to save Kairi. Even if I have to do it like this. I don't have a choice! So please...let this work. Let this save her! And if it doesn't...at least I tried everything I could._

"No, Aros. I wanted to know if you would let me go in her place."

Aros stared at her wordlessly for a moment, obviously caught completely off-guard by the request. But then his expression shifted to a sneer, and he knelt down abruptly, dumping Kairi unceremoniously on the ground. "Fine," he stated. Iraki felt her heart flutter. _Was it really that easy? Did I...did I just save her?_ But then Aros smirked, and her breath died within her. "As long as the White Keyblade goes with me, too."


	45. The Missing Pieces

Check it out! This didn't take _nearly_ as long as Chapter 44, now did it? Major thanks to Akai Kitsune for beta-ing this chapter on such short notice and in no time flat! Many huggles for you!

This chapter is dedicated to Arcadia Silver, in honor of her birthday on Dec. 4. Happy birthday, Arc!

And that said, onto the chapter!

-------------

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 45: The Missing Pieces  
**

Iraki had done it; she'd actually caught up with Aros and earned her chance to save Kairi! But...Aros wanted the White Keyblade. Saving her would cost them the _White Keyblade_.

Iraki just stood for a moment, staring, as he watched her with the most triumphant expression on his face.

_This is a win-win situation for him now, isn't it? I mean, it was before, but...he either gets Kairi or the Keyblade and me. Both ways he has something so important._

_But...he can't use the Keyblade. So if I gave it to him, at least I wouldn't have to worry about it being used against us. Not unless...not unless he made **me** do something. Aros will have me, too..._

Iraki looked at the unconscious Kairi, her expression pained. What should she do? They needed Kairi back, but wasn't giving Aros the Keyblade too great of a cost?

_Sora needs more energy. And Riku...I still don't know what happened to him, but I bet he needs the help of the White Keyblade, too. But then, if I keep it, Kairi is gone. Sora...what would you want? Or you, Riku? She means so much to both of you--more than any Keyblade ever could. I...can't let Aros have her. But then...how will they be healed?_

_I don't know...I don't know what to do. If I leave now and keep the Keyblade, how will I ever forgive myself? I...don't think I can. The cold is still there...the cold would know..._

Iraki shivered at the thought. Letting Aros have Kairi would be a failure. And if she failed again, she knew what would happen. She could feel it.

_If I keep the Keyblade and I lose to the cold, then won't it be lost anyway?_

_It would. Both Kairi and the Keyblade could be lost._

_Am I...am I a coward for basing my decision on this?_

_No... I have to get Kairi back. I have to **succeed**, even if the cost is this great. Giving up myself...giving up my Keyblade..._

_I don't care. It doesn't matter. I can't lose to the cold. I **won't** fail!_

"So what do you say, Iraki? Will you give yourself and your Keyblade for her?" Aros taunted, smirking smugly at her.

Iraki swallowed hard, then took a deep breath. _It's my only choice. _"Yes. I will."

Aros's eyes widened, and for a moment he seemed so taken aback that he couldn't respond. He had obviously set the stakes so high that he couldn't imagine her agreeing to them, and yet she had. As he hesitated, Iraki felt a flash of fear. Had Aros not been serious? Had he been so sure that she would reject the bargain that now, when she had agreed to it, he wouldn't go through with it?

But finally Aros sneered again. "Come here." He reached out, seizing Iraki's arm roughly, and pulled her over to him, positioning the Black Keyblade at her neck. "Do anything besides what I tell you to, and you'll get a painful reward. Now come on." He yanked on her arm, practically dragging her along with him through the forest. As she stumbled after him, Iraki managed one look back. Kairi was still lying right where Aros had left her.

_He did agree! She's safe now; they'll find her. Kairi...I'm sorry I couldn't do more. You'll find a way to help them, won't you? You're so strong...you will, even without the Keyblade. Because if there **is** a way, you'll find it. I...I'm sorry about the Keyblade. I hope you know that. All three of you... I **had** to do this. If I can, no matter what I have to do, I'll get it back to you. I promise. And...thank you, for everything you three did for me..._

Kairi was quickly out of sight. Iraki suddenly found tears in her eyes, and she fought to hold them back as she continued to follow Aros, moving as fast as she could as she struggled to keep up with his hurried pace. He led her through the woods and to a very familiar cave.

_The mirror...he's taking me to another world._

"Let's go." Aros put his arms around Iraki, holding her against him, and even as she flinched, trying to withdraw from the contact, he threw them both into the pool.

-------------

"Hey, I think he's coming to."

"Is he really?"

"Yeah, look! His eyes are opening."

"How can you tell with the blindfold?"

"Look _under_ it. It's not covering his eyes completely. How else could _he_ see?"

"Oh..."

"What about Riku?"

"...No change."

Sora blinked up at the people surrounding him, seeing one who looked like a rabbit and another like a frog, both wearing white lab coats. And both peering down at him with expressions that looked like a mixture of excitement and concern...

"He...hello?" Sora asked, looking at them curiously. He would have sat up to talk to them, but, despite the fact that he'd been resting--well, unconscious, anyway--he didn't think he had the strength to _move_, let alone get up.

_What happened to me, anyway? How did I get knocked out? _The boy fought for a moment with his mind, trying to bring out the memories. And all in a flash, he succeeded, gasping, "Kairi!"

As he cried out, he quite inadvertently bolted up to a sitting position, but then immediately collapsed back to the bed as his body refused to support him. "Kairi..." he repeated, his eyes glazing with inner pain. Then he remembered the two in the room with him and focused his gaze on them again, asking desperately, "Do you know where Kairi is? Is she...is she okay?"

_I was following her. But wait...how could I? Oh, I remember! The ache in my chest--I knew where she was because of that. So if I found her that way before... _Sora concentrated on his heart, searching for her feelings, but even as he tried and tried, he couldn't sense anything at all. _The ache...is gone?_

"The guards are out searching for her," the rabbit informed him. "And Aros," he added darkly.

Sora's expression darkened as well. More memory of what had happened before was coming back to him, including his encounter with Aros. _He wants my Keyblade... If I just give him that, he said he'd let me have Kairi._

"There is more we should report to you, Keyblade Master," the frog broke in a bit nervously, interrupting Sora's train of thought. She fidgeted with the buttons on her lab coat.

_More...?_ Sora swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. "What? What is it?"

The frog took a deep breath, then informed the boy all in a rush, "Riku was injured somehow in the battle with Aros. He hasn't woken up yet. We...we're not sure if he can."

Sora's eyes widened. "What!? What happened to him? What kind of injury is it?"

"Iraki is also missing," the rabbit interrupted, "We think she went after Aros."

For a moment, Sora just stared. He was too tired to sit up, Kairi had been taken by Aros, Iraki had gone after him and was missing, and Riku had been hurt and couldn't wake up. It was almost too much for him to comprehend.

_How did it come to this? And what happens now? How can we stand up to Aros--to anything!--in the state we're all in? What are we supposed to do?_

"What kind of injury does Riku have?" he repeated. _Please don't tell me he's dying. You didn't mean that by "can't wake up," right?_

"We can't seem to determine that," the frog answered apologetically, avoiding Sora's gaze, "There are no physical wounds, yet he won't respond to anything."

Sora's eyes widened. _It sounds like his heart is hurt. But wait! That means the White Keyblade can probably help him. And I **know** it can help me. So if I just got Kairi back...but I'd have to give my Keyblade to Aros... _He cringed, racking his mind for a better way out of this. _But I can't get Kairi back if I can't move! And would giving Aros the Keyblade really make things any worse than they already are? At least then Kairi would be okay, and she could help Riku and me so we could both fight again. And Iraki...I wonder where Iraki is..._ He frowned thoughtfully, trying to fill in the holes in his hastily-contrived logic. _If Iraki went after Aros, and she ran into him... _Sora held back a gasp. _What if he has them **both**?_

"Keyblade Master?" the frog asked uncertainly, staring down at the boy in a mixture of nervousness and fear as her companion eyed him curiously. But Sora was far too caught up in his own thoughts to hear them now.

_If that's true, then is there really any choice? Whether I'm giving him my Keyblade or not, I need to get to Aros, **now**! He...he might be taking them both with him._

Sora started struggling then, trying to force his muscles to let him sit up. _I can't just stay here until someone uses the White Keyblade. If he takes them both, that won't even be happening! There has to be **something** I can do to get to him! But...what...?_

"You just stay put and rest, Keyblade Master," the rabbit chided, putting his hand on Sora's shoulder and holding it firmly to keep him from trying to rise.

"But I have to stop Aros!" Sora cried desperately, although, even as he gave the plea, he knew it was going to be useless.

"The guards are looking for him!" the frog broke in, her voice shaking a little. Sora was surprised to realize that she seemed to be intimidated by him. "And you need your rest! If you get hurt any more, then who will help the girls? Wouldn't...wouldn't you rather wait until you're strong enough to help?" She bit her lip, eyeing him fearfully.

At that, Sora sagged back against the bed, giving up his struggle. They were right. He didn't want to believe it, but they were _right_. If he tried to do anything now, the darkness would take him. He wouldn't be able to defend himself against it.

But...at the same time, they were wrong. Because he wasn't going to get strong enough to help. Not on his own--not unless someone helped the girls first so they could help him! So what then? Kairi needed him, but he couldn't help her unless she helped him first. The paradox tore at Sora's heart, but he knew it was true all the same. "If you find either of them, you'll tell me, right?" he asked, his voice timid now.

"We will," the rabbit assured him.

Sora nodded, sighing. _So now what? I sit here and sleep and hope one of them shows up? I can't do nothing..._ A thought occurred to him then. "Can I see Riku?" he asked, a bit nervous about the question, although he tried not to think about _why_ he was nervous. _Maybe he'll be able to help. But if he can't, that really is it for now._

"Of course," the frog stated. She chewed her lip a little and added a bit sheepishly, "He's right over there," gesturing to another bed across the room from Sora.

Sora's eyes widened. He tried again to sit up so he could see, but this time the rabbit grabbed his shoulders and helped to pull him up, supporting him there since his body wouldn't. The boy swallowed hard at the sight before him. Riku lay unmoving on the bed with a stillness that was familiar. His was a sleep like the dead--the sleep of someone whose heart was weakened.

_I was right. Riku, too. He needs the White Keyblade. If they haven't been able to wake him, it's probably the only way now._

But before he could think any further along those depressing lines, two guards burst into the room, one with a person grasped tightly in his arms. The rabbit started to lower Sora back to the bed to go attend to the newcomer, but Sora shook his head vigorously, desperately, staring at the figure in shock. "No, please! It's Kairi!"

The rabbit stopped. The girl didn't respond to his cry, though, and Sora watched with longing as the frog directed the guards to lay Kairi on a third small bed.

"What happened to her?" Sora cried, "Where did you find her?" He swallowed hard, adding, "Where's Aros?"

"She was hit in the head by a blunt object," the frog commented softly as she looked the girl over. She walked to a cabinet, probably for bandages and other supplies to tend to Kairi's wound. She glanced at the guards at the same time, though, silently asking them to answer Sora's other questions.

"We found her in the forest," one guard spoke up. His brow furrowed. "But we didn't see any sign of anyone else."

"You...you didn't?" Sora asked in shock. _That forest is on the way to the mirror. Why would Aros have left her there? Did he just take her for a bit to taunt me? But...I thought he wanted to use her to get my Keyblade. So then why...?_ His eyes widened as another thought struck him. _But what about Iraki? Where is she? Is this...?_

But no, even though he couldn't see the unconscious girl's eyes, he knew for certain that this was Kairi, and not just from her clothing. He could feel it, deep inside his heart. Without a doubt, it was Kairi. But as glad as he was to see her, this still made no sense. Even if Iraki had caught up with Aros, what had made him leave Kairi behind?

_Iraki must have. Could she have fought him? No...I've seen her fight before, and I know how powerful Aros is. So what did she do? And where is she now?_

Kairi stirred then, letting out a slight groan. "Kairi!" Sora called gently, leaning forward as if, by straining hard enough, he could get over to her.

"S...Sora?" came Kairi's response, her voice thick with sleep.

"It's me," he stated, grinning widely in her direction, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay..." she mumbled, "But what...?" She pulled herself slowly into a sitting position, blinking at the room around her. "How did I...?" Her eyes came to rest on one of the other beds, and they widened. "Riku!" she cried, "Is he okay? What's wrong?"

Sora's dropped his encouraging expression and looked back over at Riku as well. "I don't know, Kairi. I think Aros did something to his heart..."

Kairi gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. "But what...?" She began to turn to Sora as she asked her question, and upon seeing him, she abruptly trailed off. "Sora! You're hurt, too!"

Sora was going to wave a hand to brush off her concern, but when he tried to lift it, he realized that his slow movement--if he could move it at all--would probably worry her more than reassure her. "I'm just tired."

"Just tired?" Kairi frowned. "But not normal tired. I can feel it, Sora."

Sora cringed. Their connection was one of the most important things in his life, and he loved it dearly. Just a little earlier it had been what had led him to Aros, and even though he hadn't been able to save her, at least it had given him that chance to try. But just as the connection had allowed him to feel her pain, she could use it to sense the weakness in his heart--there was no hiding his injured state from her. So he nodded in agreement. "Not normal tired."

"We have to help you!" Kairi declared. Then her eyes widened, and she began looking around the room. "Iraki? Sora, where's Iraki?"

Sora swallowed. "I...don't know, Kairi. No one's been able to find her. We think she went after you."

Kairi gasped. "Wh...what!? But...Aros..."

"I hope she's just out looking for him," Sora admitted, trying to be as reassuring as he could and still be honest, "But no one can find her anywhere." He bit his lip. He didn't want to ask this of her, but Iraki and Riku were important to him, too. They needed help. And he wanted to help them--to help everyone. None of which he could do lying here like this... "Kairi? I know you just woke up, but...if I could get up and help look for her...or if Riku could..."

"You want me to heal you, don't you?" Kairi asked. She suddenly had an almost sick look on her face, and Sora cringed again. Was she so short on energy that she was afraid she couldn't help him? He didn't want to hurt her... But could they really afford to wait for Kairi to rest? Riku and Iraki were at stake now, too.

_No, it's too risky. If she gets hurt, that won't help us at all! But maybe if she can give just a little..._

"If you need more time to heal first, it's okay!" Sora stated, "I can wait. And you should help Riku first anyway. Maybe even just a little energy will make him wake up. But he seems to be okay so far, so don't do it if it'll hurt you, okay?"

"Sora..."

"Yeah?" He watched her with concern. If anything, his statement had caused her to look even more ill. "You okay, Kairi?" he added, "Do you not feel well?"

Kairi swallowed. "No, it's not that, Sora..."

His brows furrowed with worry. If she wasn't physically ill, then what? Sora could feel a sickening dread rising up within him. He had a very bad feeling about whatever Kairi was about to tell him. In fact, he even thought he had a guess as to what it was. And it definitely wasn't a bright prospect. "What is it?" Sora asked nervously.

"Sora..." Kairi started, gazing at him with heartbreaking regret in her eyes, "Iraki had the White Keyblade."

Sora gave a sharp intake of breath. _What? _"But...then where did she go?"

It was another question he already knew the answer to. Kairi obliged him anyway, though. "Sora, if Aros had me, and I'm here now, then is it possible that she...?" But at that point, Kairi, too, found herself unable to state what they both already knew.

A long silence stretched between the two before Sora finally broke it, trying to sound optimistic. "We'll have to think of something. Some way we can go after them... What if I gave you my Keyblade, Kairi? Maybe if you had that-"

"This is Aros, Sora."

Sora broke off, biting his lip again. "I know."

"Do you really think I could do it?"

Silence again. He didn't want her to get hurt. But...it was the only choice, wasn't it? And if _he_ didn't believe in her, then she would never succeed. He knew that much. You always needed the support of your friends, no matter what. "I'm sure you could, Kairi. I know you'd be willing to give it everything."

Kairi nodded. "But Sora...how could I save her on my own?"

Sora took a deep breath, thinking about possible scenarios. The danger was unavoidable. This _was_ Aros. "You know how to use the mirror. I can give you my Keyblade, and you can head through looking for Iraki. Hopefully you can find her without running into Aros. Or maybe you can trick him somehow or something... If Iraki's awake, I'm sure she'll try to help, too. Like I said, I know you'd give it everything. And I know you can do it."

The girl's eyes were filled with inexpressible gratitude. "Sora...you really mean it?"

"Of course! Kairi, you survived growing up with me and Riku! I'm sure you can take on one of us, especially if Iraki's there to help you." Sora forced the tired muscles of his face to form into a familiar goofy grin.

Kairi laughed, just slightly, but it was enough to make Sora's grin widen. "All right, Sora. I'll give it a try."

"You'll do more than that," he stated confidently. Concentrating hard, he called for a familiar weapon to come to his hand.

Kairi watched him, waiting patiently. Time ticked by as Sora concentrated, his eyes squeezed shut, trying to do something that he had done countless thousands of times before. But nothing was happening.

"Sora?"

Sora finally opened his eyes in defeat, letting out a breath that he hadn't even realized he was holding. "Kairi..." he started, his voice choked, "I'm too weak to call it."

Kairi's eyes widened. "So then..." But again, she couldn't quite get the words out.

This time, though, Sora could. "You're...you're going to have to go against Aros," he stated, "And we can't give you anything more than a sword..."


	46. Allies

I know it's been forever, but I meant it when I said I wasn't planning to give up on this fic! So, at last, here's the next chapter. As always, special thanks to Akai Kitsune for her mad beta skillz.

This chapter is dedicated to Ari Powwel because it's her b-day, whoo! Happy birthday! Hope it's a great one.

Enjoy the chapter, everyone!

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 46: Allies  
**

The queen thought hard about the sort of sword with which to equip Kairi. Really she wished, more than anything, to have the time to train the girl with whatever weapon she was given. After all, Kairi didn't know so much as a spell, had no combat experience prior to the last few days--in short, was in absolutely _no_ way ready for this. But still, there wasn't time to even begin to remedy those problems, so all the woman could hope to do was give Kairi the sword most suited to her current abilities and mission. When she had finally decided on the criteria she wanted, she went to the captain of the guard himself to choose the sword that fit it.

"It's a little unwieldy," Queen Winnie apologized as she held the weapon out to the girl, "But Draggy assures me that it is exactly what I was asking for."

"Light but sturdy, defensive more than anything, right?" Kairi asked, eyeing the weapon a little dubiously as she tried to remember the description the queen had given her.

Winnie nodded, her expression solemn. "There is one more thing about it, though," she added, a twinkle coming to her eye, "It enhances speed."

Kairi's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "So holding this will make me faster?" she asked.

"Having it in contact with your person in any way will make you faster," Winnie clarified, "sheathed or otherwise."

"So I can get her out of there," Kairi commented, almost to herself, but the words caused the queen to frown.

"Or at least the Keyblade," the mouse sovereign amended, her tone flat and nondescript. Kairi cringed at the reminder, though.

_If Iraki is with Aros, it might be too much to hope that I can get both of us out of there on my own. But if I at least get the Keyblade, then I can heal Sora and Riku, and we can all go together to save her. So I might...I might have to leave her._

_But only if I have to. Only if I have to..._

Kairi nodded slightly, acknowledging the queen's words. She accepted the sword, taking it carefully in both hands and gazing down at it. Then she shifted it to one hand, still staring at it as her breath caught in her throat.

"Like this," Winnie spoke up, reaching out and gently adjusting the girl's grip on the hilt. Kairi blushed, mentally chiding herself that this wasn't a Keyblade, although, admittedly, she didn't really know how to wield that either. But the queen gave no further comment, obviously not intending to shame the girl--simply trying to help with the harsh reality in any way she could.

"Thanks," Kairi replied quietly, tempted to give a practice swing or two with the sword to see what it felt like but not wanting to embarrass herself any further. "I'm ready then."

The queen nodded, although they both knew that the statement was untrue. But Kairi _couldn't_ be ready in this case, so there was no reason to dwell on it. She simply had to go, and as soon as possible.

"These should come in handy, too!" piped up a voice from behind them as Ronald came dashing into the room, a small bag held out with one hand. Draggy sauntered in after him, his expression grim, but he made no comment.

Ronald slid to a stop in front of her, just short of toppling _into_ her, and Kairi took the bag in surprise. "What's this?" the girl asked, holding back a giggle at Ronald's awkward position as he tried to regain his balance without falling on her, one leg raised and his arms wheeling. She took a step back to give him room, honestly grateful for his enthusiasm and its...negative consequences. After all, when things looked so bleak, a little laughter was always welcome. And the person who usually brought it to her was in such bad shape himself...

_But he's going to be better soon. I'll get that Keyblade back from Aros somehow._

"Just a little help," Ronald replied, trying to shrug and letting out a cry as the movement caused him to slip. Draggy finally made it over to them then and put a hand on Ronald's shoulder, steadying his friend before he fell over backwards.

Kairi's attention had gone to the bag, however. It was made of simple cloth, with straps on the back so that she could wear it instead of having to use a hand to carry it. Opening the top, she peered inside to find it full of bottles of various types. "Potions," she breathed, eyes widening. There were a lot...

"And ethers, elixirs...anything you Keyblade Masters might need at some point in your journey," Draggy stated.

"Thank you!" Kairi exclaimed, smiling brightly at the two and closing the bag so she could slip it over one shoulder. Switching hands with her sword temporarily, she slid the strap over the other shoulder. She didn't understand how she could smile so much at the gift. She really was very grateful for it, but in a situation like this, she didn't think she should feel like smiling at all.

_Maybe it's because Sora's trying to be brave even now. And...I saw him start to lose that. He needs me to be confident. **I** need to be confident. I'll try to take his role, just until he can again. After all, right now, I'm the only Keyblade Master who can fight. That's...a lot of responsibility. And I want him to know that I'm ready for it. Hmm...maybe..._ She considered for a moment. _I guess even if **he** doesn't need me to stop by,** I** probably do. And I'm sure they won't mind... _"I'm ready," Kairi stated to those around her, "But...can I have five minutes?"

The queen's expression itself said nothing, but maybe that more than anything showed that she understood. She nodded.

"Thank you," Kairi replied, awkwardly maneuvering her sword into its sheath and hurrying back into the castle.

As she entered the room, she saw Sora trying to lift himself to see who was coming. He couldn't manage it, however, and Kairi was almost to the bed before he finally realized that it was her. Despite the fact that the blindfold obscured his eyes so that she could see little more than their color, she noted with a faint happiness that his expression lit up as she drew close. The reaction only lasted for a second, however, before his face went back to being dimmed by a pain that had nothing to do with his injury. "Kairi...is something wrong?"

She bit her lip, shaking her head as she tried to hold back her own emotions. "I just...wanted to stop by before I left."

Sora was quiet for a moment, looking at her with eyes that were torn between love and pain. Then he said, simply, his voice strangely quiet, "But you'll be back soon."

Kairi smiled brokenly. "I will. I promise."

Sora smiled back, the expression half-real, half-not. She could see that he was proud of her, but, at the same time, the situation was making him, Sora, the eternal optimist, the one with the goofy grin that could brighten any day and make anything seem possible, want to cry. "I'll see you when you get back."

Kairi nodded vigorously, keeping that smile on her face as she struggled to hold back her own tears. "Take care of yourself."

"You too."

She stood for a moment more, and he watched her, an unspoken message passing between them. _"I'm sorry you have to go through this...I love you."_

Kairi left the room then and headed back to the queen and the others. "All right," she stated, swallowing hard as her voice caught on the first word, "I'm ready."

* * *

The queen sent an escort of soldiers to ensure that Kairi would make it to the mirror safely. It was hard for the girl to go with them, knowing that they were headed outside on a Heartless-infested world to protect _her_. But she also knew that she couldn't refuse their help. Considering where she was going--or, more accurately, _who_ she was going to face--she needed to save every bit of strength she had for when she was there. And with that in mind, she had to admit that the lives of a few soldiers now, when she was trying to save all the worlds, were nothing. But thinking about it objectively like that and _feeling_ it objectively were two very different things. Kairi had no ability to do the second. 

_But I'm trying to save Sora, and they're helping. Can I at least look at it like that, maybe? I have to. If I let this stop me, then we've lost everything!_

The Heartless attacked almost immediately, and the guards went at the creatures with fervor. Kairi wanted to aid the soldiers, but she bit her lip, sword clutched tightly in a white-knuckled hand, and just kept running. She had to get to the mirror. She had to face Aros and get the White Keyblade, and she couldn't do that if she didn't even get off of this world. Thoughts of her mission, however, just made her want to stop and help the soldiers even more. The Heartless didn't seem nearly as dangerous when she thought of that single boy who lay ahead...

But Kairi had no choice. She _knew_ she had no choice, and the soldier who had remained with her did as well, grabbing her arm and pulling her into a run when she hesitated. She was sprinting through the Heartless, the soldier slashing left-handed as she tried to strike at the creatures with the sword held in her right, neither having much effect but still doing enough to keep the beings from blocking their path completely.

Even so, there were too many, and the mirror was too far. The cave was in view when she heard her soldier companion give a cry. Suddenly he no longer had her hand, and though she turned and looked desperately through the Heartless, the sea was too thick, and she could see neither him nor any of the others. There was no hope in going back--she would be lost, too. She _knew_ that, and yet she still wanted to.

_I can't. I have to do this. I **can't** give in!_

And so she forced her legs to work, forced herself to run, slashing blindly, wildly at the shadows as she went. They reached for her, tearing and clawing, slowing her down. Kairi closed her eyes against them, running desperately, putting all her strength and all her energy into making it to that cave and into that pool. She could do this. Whatever it took, whatever shape she was in when she reached the other side, there was no hope for anyone or anything if she fell here!

And then there was stone under her feet. She was inside the cave! Just a little farther and she would be there...

But claws, claws as cold as ice, like darkness itself, were snaking around her. She couldn't go any farther, couldn't stay upright...

_NO!_

Kairi dove into the pool, so desperate to make it that she all but forgot to think of Aros to ensure her destination. She remembered at the last second, however--or perhaps it was the fact that he was her destination that caused her to think of him en route. In any case, it was with thoughts of that frightening, wicked young boy, so like Sora in appearance and at the same time so completely unlike him, that Kairi was swallowed by the depths of pool, successfully leaving Sovereign's Palace with her heart intact.

* * *

"Hey, looks like she's waking up!" 

"Finally."

"Cloud, don't be like that!"

Kairi squirmed in her--bed?--groaning and trying to make sense of the three voices around her--not to mention her surroundings themselves, she realized, struggling to remember where she was, or at least where she last remembered being.

_What happened to me? I...the mirror! But if I went through, where am I now?_

"Hey, you okay?" came the first voice again, "Wake up!"

Kairi finally opened her eyes, blinking above her and wincing at the bright light. "Where...?"

"In Traverse Town," came a gruff male voice that, now that she was really beginning to awaken, was immediately familiar.

"Leon?"

"And not just him!" interrupted Yuffie, sounding a little miffed, "We're here, too, you know!"

"Yuffie..." Kairi blinked against the light again, looking around the room at the blissfully familiar faces. "And Aerith, and..." But the last, a blond man with eerie blue eyes, was someone she had never seen before.

"This is Cloud," Aerith introduced, "How are you feeling, Kairi?"

"I'm...okay..." Kairi continued to blink around the room, confused more than anything. How in the world had she gotten here? And...Traverse Town? _But what are **they** doing in Traverse Town?_ "Why are you guys back here?"

"Hollow Bastion was overrun," Cloud answered, his voice oddly monotonous. He leaned against a wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We'd hardly had a chance to rebuild," Leon broke in, his expression pained, "We weren't organized enough for a long resistance, so we realized that it was best to get all the civilians out. Then we abandoned it ourselves."

"So Hollow Bastion is...gone?" Kairi asked, eyes widening.

"Probably," Cloud replied.

Kairi frowned, unable to see how the man could be so calm and straightforward about it. His whole world might be gone! But Aerith was giving a knowing smile at her expression. Kairi looked to the woman curiously, but she didn't ask anything, not wanting to be rude.

"Don't mind Cloud," Aerith commented, looking amused, "He's just a little lacking in tact." She turned her gaze to the other man, who scowled, but Kairi blinked, surprised at the fondness she spotted in both their eyes. "I think the more important question is why _you're_ here, Kairi," Aerith continued.

"Oh!" Kairi's eyes widened as her purpose came rushing back to her all at once. "Aros! I'm here to...I have to save Iraki..." She immediately started pulling herself to a sitting position as she struggled to untangle her legs from the sheets.

"Hey, hold on there!" Yuffie admonished, eyeing Kairi sternly as Leon put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Don't forget you got hurt," he stated as he shifted his grip and took her arm, helping her out of the bed.

"I'm fine, though," Kairi protested, blushing slightly at the attention and being sure to stand up straight so she _looked_ fine as well. "And I'm really in a hurry! Aros has captured Iraki."

"You said that before," Aerith commented, "Who are they, Kairi?"

"With those names, I think I can hazard a guess," Leon broke in, "They're related to Sora and yourself, aren't they?"

Kairi blinked, surprised by Leon's knowledge, although after what she'd heard from him during the last Heartless infiltration, she supposed she shouldn't be. "Yeah. Iraki's my parallel, and Aros is...Sora's opposite."

"Opposite?" Yuffie echoed, "You mean there's a dark Sora running around out there?"

Kairi winced. "Yeah...he's kinda like that. He's really dangerous, and he has Iraki and my Keyblade!"

Yuffie stared at her for a second before bursting out, "A dark Sora with a Keyblade that can destroy hearts?"

Kairi's eyes widened at Yuffie's words--it was definitely not something she'd thought about--but then she remembered what had happened when Kiru had tried to use a Keyblade not meant for him. "One that he can't use," she added, trying to sound reassuring. But then again, she couldn't hide the truth of the situation's severity either. "And the Black Keyblade. It can take hearts, and...he can use it." _I saw him..._

"Then it sounds like we need to take the Keyblades from him," Cloud stated, stepping away from the wall and retrieving an enormous sword covered in--were those bandages?--from the nearby corner.

Kairi's eyes widened. "But..." But she stopped the sentence before it could go any further. How could she protest that Aros was too strong for them to face when she was basically planning to do the same thing herself? If she was going to save Iraki and get the White Keyblade back to save Sora and Riku, didn't she need all the help she could get?

"But what?" Yuffie scoffed, echoing Kairi's own thoughts, "You need your friend and the Keyblade back. What, you think we were just gonna let you go alone?"

"A challenge that's more than just Heartless will be nice for once," Leon murmured. And Aerith hurried over to the wall beside Cloud, retrieving a staff.

Kairi watched them in surprise. She hadn't been expecting _all_ of them to jump to help her! _But they were eager to help people last time, too. And Yuffie's right--I know they'd never let me go after a dangerous enemy alone._ "Thank you," she breathed.

"I can't let my patient hurt herself so soon after she woke up," Aerith replied simply, smiling. "Shall we?"

Kairi nodded, surprised again as Leon stepped over and pressed her sword into her grasp. "You might be needing that."

"Mm," Kairi replied, fingering the weapon uncertainly, but then she looked up at the four around her and smiled. She wasn't facing Aros alone anymore. Even if she wasn't very good with the sword, it didn't matter nearly as much, did it?

"Let's go kick some dark Sora tail!" Yuffie exclaimed.

"It's not Sora, Yuffie," Leon replied, sighing.

"No, but...I like the idea of 'kicking some tail,' don't you, Cloud?" Aerith asked, laughter in her eyes as the seemingly immovable man gave her the most confused look. It was enough to make Kairi want to laugh, too. Funny, a few minutes ago she hadn't felt anything like this.

_A few minutes ago I didn't know I had allies._

"We'd better go before he causes any more damage," Cloud replied, scowling a little at Aerith as she continued to laugh silently, "Where is he, Kairi?"

Suddenly the girl's urge to laugh was gone, however. "I...uh...don't know," Kairi replied, abruptly feeling very sheepish, "He's in Traverse Town, but I don't know where..."

"The Heartless will tell us," Leon piped up, "They never ignore a Keyblade."

Oh, how glad she was to have help! "Then you think just walking around outside will lead us to him?"

"And we get to bust up some more of those Heartless creeps!" Yuffie declared.

"We'll see if we can find a trail," Leon replied, ignoring the ninja.

"Then let's get started," Cloud stated, and suddenly he was headed out the door.

"Cloud!" Aerith pouted, following, and Yuffie bounced after her, sticking her head back in once she was outside.

"Come on, Kairi!"

"I'm coming!" Kairi called back, honestly astounded at how quickly everything had just happened. She took a step forward, a bit unsteady at first, but Leon was still next to her, eyeing her watchfully, and she quickly regained her footing. The other man followed her out, not saying a word, but his presence was comforting all the same.

_I can find Aros with them. And hopefully I can get both Iraki and the Keyblade..._

_No, not hopefully! I **will**. I'm not alone anymore._

But as the five walked out into an eerily silent Third District, it became clear that Aros was not the only enemy they would have to deal with when they found him.

_He can control the Heartless. What if we have to fight him **and** a ton of them? Maybe...even with five of us, this won't be so good after all..._

But she couldn't lose her hope or resolve now, not when others were putting their lives on the line to work with her. She would face Aros with as much determination as before, and she would fight and not rely on her allies to do it for her. Whatever they were headed for, she would meet it face on.

* * *

Aros was practically swimming in a sea of Heartless, the creatures swarming all around and over him as he stood near the fountain in the Second District, Iraki held roughly by his arm, shuddering as Heartless tried to steal from her the light that Aros had used his Keyblade to protect. 

"What are you doing?" Iraki asked shakily, trying to use one arm to bat at the creatures.

"They'll be coming after you," Aros replied, and Iraki turned to him, alarmed by the sound of his voice. It was so hollow, as if there were no feeling there at all--no triumph, eagerness, nervousness, or even anger. "I'm going to be ready for them." And he smiled then, the expression eerie enough to give the girl another chill.

_When he's around all these Heartless, it's like he's another person..._

"Aren't you excited, Iraki?" Aros asked, looking at her now, "A big battle is coming, and you get to see it all."

Iraki shuddered as another Heartless made a futile attempt to reach through her. There were so many... If the others did come to save her, what would happen to them?

_I won't just watch them get killed. The Heartless can't have me. If they do come, I'll help. I'll get away from Aros and help somehow!_

Aros grinned, as if sensing her thoughts, and brought the Black Keyblade up to her chin. His eyes grew distant then, however, his voice still hollow. "A beautiful battle is coming," he stated, "I shall get more of what I need." And he ran the Keyblade along her jawbone, almost as if stroking her face.

Iraki shuddered at the touch. "Aros?" she breathed, but he ignored her, lost somewhere, in insanity, in sick pleasure--she wasn't sure what. He seemed so distant now, not in any way the Aros that she had once known.

"Soon," he murmured, "They'll be here soon..." And the Heartless began chattering as if they understood his words, swarming about the district in eager anticipation.


	47. An Eye for an Eye

For those of you who have been looking for the action to resume in this fic, I hope this chapter is to your liking! It's perhaps one of the most crucial chapters I've written in a while. It's also dedicated to the amazing Rem-chan, in honor of her birthday. Happy birthday, Rem!

Taking a page from Rem-chan, I'd like to recommend background music for this chapter. I was listening to Kajiura Yuki's _A Song of Storm and Fire_, from Tsubasa Chronicle, while editing it, and it fit amazingly well. If you have access to the song, listen to it. You'll like the effect.

Special thanks to link no miko for her last-minute beta help! And I hope everyone enjoys the chapter.

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 47: An Eye for an Eye  
**

It wasn't _completely_ by coincidence that Kairi and her allies moved from the Third District straight into the Second. After all, it seemed unlikely that the Heartless were gathering in the First (or at least, they _hoped_ that was true), and they assumed in the unlikely event that they _were_, they would hear it--as unsettling a thought as that was. The Second District had won out over the Fourth simply because it was closer to the mirror. So it was with no small amount of surprise that Kairi and her group came upon the sea of Heartless gathered there--Aros and Iraki just barely visible in the center of the waves of black.

The Heartless began to chatter loudly as the group drew near, and Kairi's allies brandished their weapons, prepared to do the only thing they could when faced with such a situation. However, the girl herself hesitated, horrified. _There are too many! We'll never make it anywhere close..._

But suddenly all the creatures grew quiet at once, and the change was abrupt and eerie enough to halt even the fighters in their path.

"And why are _you_ here?" came Aros's voice from the heart of the darkness, able to carry across the district because of the absolute quiet. The Heartless around him parted slightly, making him clearly visible to Kairi and her friends. He was standing straight, grinning, the wild look of his features just barely discernible from so far away. Iraki was held beside him, the Black Keyblade against her neck. Heartless were crawling over her, causing the girl to shiver, though they weren't taking her heart. "Do you think you can take her back?" the boy continued, shouldering Iraki, who stumbled slightly, wincing as the Keyblade dug into her neck. "Then by all means, come here."

Leon and Cloud glanced at each other, an unspoken message passing between them. Then they stepped in front of Kairi before taking off forward, swords flashing in what little light the district was providing as they began to slice through the army of Heartless.

"Come on." Aerith's tone was gentle but determined. She took one of Kairi's hands as Yuffie started forward, beckoning to them. Again, Kairi hesitated. For her, this moment was like a repeat of her flight from the Sovereign's Palace, when she had watched so many soldiers fall to get her safely to her destination. She almost pulled back, wanting to tell her friends not to run into that darkness. If they befell the same fate as those soldiers had, she didn't think she could take it. But she could still see Iraki, shaking from the cold and watching them with terrified eyes as they drew near the enemy. The other girl was afraid for them, too, even though she was clearly in pain from the Heartless around her. Kairi couldn't leave her like that, held by that crazed boy with a Keyblade pressed to her neck as Heartless grabbed at her and chilled her straight through. Kairi's resolve began to return.

Her mission was the White Keyblade, which was presumably in Aros's possession along with the Black, but that wasn't what gave her the strength in this moment to move forward with Aerith and Yuffie, clumsily wielding a sword as one woman expertly used magic and her staff and the other her shuriken. It wasn't for the Keyblade that Kairi ignored the cold fingers that were now tearing at her own heart, or focused on the goal ahead instead of the friends at her sides. There was so much more to this fight than that single key-shaped weapon. This was about the friends beside her, about the injured girl before her, about two boys ailing at a castle under attack, about those soldiers who had given themselves up to get her here, and about all the friends who believed in her and had sent her off with the encouragement that she could succeed. No, Kairi's fight through the Heartless had nothing to do with the Keyblade at all. It was about people, thousands of people, everywhere, who were fighting and dying and counting on her, in this moment, to do this one thing. And she wouldn't let them down.

Slowly, Kairi's sword strikes became more accurate, her abilities fueled by her determination. She began to block out the battle taking place around her and the endless sea of enemies, instead focusing only on the Heartless near her who were separating her from her goal. Though that still seemed like an endless amount...

_But I have to keep fighting. I won't let everything that everyone has done be for nothing. I have to **get there**!_

It was Cloud's voice, however, that shook her determination. The blond man, seemingly so strong and silent, let out a cry of pain, and the attention of the four others in that sea of blackness all went immediately to him.

He was right in the thick of the Heartless, Leon not far ahead of him and the others not far behind, but still alone. His massive, bandaged sword, while it had been doing well to keep the Heartless back away from him, had turned out to be a liability of its own as one of the lithe creatures had somehow managed to perch itself on top of the blade, holding tightly with the talons of one hand and, with the other, sinking those talons into his chest.

"_Cloud_!" Magic was let loose from Aerith's staff, lightning that engulfed her own ally but was enough to send the yelping creature to the ground. It was a small victory, however, as the other man, between the cold and the electricity, was left dazed for a moment, Heartless gathering around him, beginning to crawl over him. "No!"

Kairi's eyes widened as Aerith gave her hand a pull, half-dragging the girl into the crowd. The woman was clearly making an attempt not to forget her mission but not to lose the man she loved either.

"Aerith!" Yuffie protested, chasing after them, but the woman was not to be stopped.

Kairi, thrown off by the sudden pull on her hand, was distracted for a moment, her sword flailing aimlessly beside her, and it was just enough of a lack of attentiveness to allow one of the Heartless in front of her to jump up and sink its claws quite resolutely into her chest.

The girl stumbled, crying out, and losing Aerith's hand in the process. The woman, however, was so intent on her goal that she didn't seem to notice that she'd lost Kairi because the girl was hurt and not because she was running too fast. So she simply continued forward, throwing spell after spell at the Heartless in her way.

Yuffie, on the other hand, came Kairi's way immediately, shuriken flying. As Kairi gasped, frozen in place by the cold that was seizing her entire body, the Heartless that had dared to attack the Keyblade Master found itself shredded. Yuffie grabbed Kairi's hand now, pulling her to her feet, though she couldn't remember going to her knees in the first place. "Keep going!" the ninja urged, tugging her along as Kairi fumbled to get her bearings and begin to use her sword again.

She was hopelessly distracted now, however, her goal almost wholly forgotten as her eyes searched the black sea not for Iraki, but for a woman in a pink dress and a man with eerie blue eyes that she was desperate to save. And then she found them. And Kairi screamed.

* * *

Ronald hadn't wanted to be taken out of the battle to defend the Sovereign's Palace, but when he'd accidentally gotten nailed square in the head by an allied mage's staff, he hadn't had a lot of choice--or much ability to resist. 

He was surprised, however, when, once his comrades had gotten him to the wing of the castle that was serving as their main hospital, he was put in the same room as the two Keyblade Masters. But Ronald had to admit that he was glad for the opportunity to see them again, even injured as all three of them were. Riku was still unconscious, looking no better than he had the last time the duck had seen him, but Sora was awake, though the boy seemed to be wholly focused on the ceiling, staring with the most blank, distracted look on his face.

"Something wrong, Sora?" Ronald asked immediately. It was the first question that came to his mind. Distantly he knew that it was a stupid question and probably one that shouldn't be asked, but between the concussion and the oppressive hospital smell of the room, the duck decided that the fog in his head was too thick to try to come up with anything else.

"They're out there somewhere." The boy did not take his gaze from the ceiling as he responded. His words were quiet, and not just from weakness. Ronald frowned at his tone. Wasn't Sora supposed to be chipper and hopeful? But he sounded so scared...

Even through the fog that clogged his brain, Ronald knew that this wouldn't do. So he decided to take upon himself a mission of cheering up this despairing Keyblade Master. "Yep," he stated, grinning at the boy. He waited for a moment, until Sora turned to him and saw it, and then continued, "They're out there fighting so you two can get out of here."

"I wish I could help."

Ronald thought about that one for a moment, willing his aching head to cooperate and reason. He could certainly understand the boy's sentiment. After all, he didn't want to be stuck in the hospital either. But how could he make him feel useful when they both _were_ stuck here? There had to be _something_ they were doing, right?

And, with a little thought, he realized what it was. "Heh, so do I!" he declared, "But we still are, you know."

Sora turned to the duck again, gaze curious and a bit critical. Ronald just smiled confidently at him, even as the boy asked a question that was full of uncertainty. "How are we helping when we're lying here like this?"

"By believing in them." Sora blinked, and Ronald's smile widened into a grin. The boy stared for a moment, and then he nodded slowly. Ronald couldn't help feeling proud of himself--and relieved.

"Believing in them. Yeah..." Sora grinned as well--a grin that made Ronald laugh out loud. But the boy ignored him, just continuing to grin. "I can do that," he stated, "I can believe in Kairi."

* * *

Cloud and Aerith had not managed to reunite, but the man was still there, though he was fighting vainly at the Heartless that were all over him. Aerith's spells had presumably saved him from certain doom--for the moment, at least--but he was unable to aid the group anymore as he was trapped where he stood. 

Aerith, on the other hand, had stumbled into her own certain doom. She had been too intent on Cloud, too heedless of the Heartless around her. And now, as Kairi looked on in horror, she saw the woman with a shadow on her chest, reaching inside and greedily pulling at a light that Kairi could _see_, just faintly, pulsing through the pink fabric. Aerith's staff was gone--likely torn away by some enemy--and the woman stood rigid, eyes wide and mouth frozen in an "oh" of horror as she began to lose her very being. And she was too far away for any of them to reach her.

"No! No! _No_!" Kairi was screaming. Cloud was screaming. Even Yuffie was screaming. Aerith was the only one who was silent, watching with features lined in horrible pain as her body spasmed and shivered. Very slowly, she turned to look at the man with eerie blue eyes, and the lights of the buildings around them caught her face as she did so, glinting off the tears that were coursing down her cheeks. Her mouth moved, slowly, the "oh" changing to something else, a short message, and a weak one, but one that needed no audible words to make it clear. _Good-bye..._

Kairi began to shake. This was exactly what she had feared, exactly why she hadn't wanted to do this. She had allies who would help her, yes, but she could not protect them, and there was no guarantee that they would make it through--not even a good chance that they would! Aerith was disappearing before her eyes, and by the looks of things, Cloud was going to go next. And even Leon was completely lost to view, probably fighting somewhere deeper within the army, maybe oblivious to what was going on here, and maybe gone already.

While Kairi stared numbly, she could hear Yuffie's shuriken whizzing around her as the ninja fought to keep her safe. "Kairi, you have to keep going!" Yuffie yelled in her ear, the words only dimly registering in Kairi's mind, "Don't stop or they'll take you!"

_But Aerith_...

Despite Yuffie's attempts, Kairi still could do no more than stare as the light became brighter, sliding inch by inch from the woman's chest. She hardly noticed as Yuffie pulled her along, past Aerith, trying to continue their mission even as a tragedy played out behind them.

_No! We have to help her_.

"Cloud! Cloud, we have to get Kairi up there faster!"

Surprised at the ninja's words, Kairi turned to Yuffie, finally becoming aware of her surroundings. They were near Cloud now, the man slowly regaining control of his situation, aided by flying shuriken. But even this could not hold Kairi's attention, and the girl turned back to the woman who was fading into the sea of black now, the only thing visible the light that was growing from her chest, giving off a last blast of beautiful radiance before it would be absorbed.

"Then watch out!"

Kairi couldn't help but jerk as Cloud's sword slashed next to her, taking out a Heartless that she hadn't even noticed latch onto her arm. The blade distracted her enough that she pulled her eyes from Aerith, focusing now on the man to whom she was so dear. And Kairi stared, feeling her heart knot up at the thought that he was losing his love for her. What could she ever do to make up for this? What Keyblade could ever be worth such sacrifice? Soon all four allies would be gone...

But something in those eerie blue eyes made her pause, blinking. It took a moment for her numb mind to realize what was bothering her, but her eyes widened as she finally did. Where was the despair in those glowing depths? Kairi felt like the world was falling apart around her, but Cloud...all she could see in his eyes was anger and drive. And as he slashed another Heartless away from her, yelling words that her mind couldn't quite focus on, Kairi gasped. He was still fighting, wasn't he? Aerith was _right over there_, dying, but he _hadn't stopped fighting_.

_So why am I standing here watching? Why am I making them take care of me? Aerith didn't throw herself into these Heartless for nothing. I have a Keyblade to regain, Iraki to save, and **friends to protect**_!

Something changed then--Kairi could feel it, though for a moment she didn't understand what it meant. There was a tingling in her hand, and as she watched in awe, a light began to gather around it, forcing it from Yuffie's grasp. The brightness grew, spreading out into the outline of a key. Kairi gasped, eyes wide, and the light began to fade, forming into something solid--a weight that she could feel--until finally it was gone completely, and she could see what was now in her grasp.

_The White Keyblade!_

And with no more thought than that, Kairi knew what she had to do. Heedless of the yells of her companions, she rushed forward, slashing wildly with the Keyblade and her sword as she surged toward the woman whose body was beginning to fade. It was perhaps the stupidest thing she'd ever done, and she knew it, but all she could think of then was that she wasn't going to let this continue the way it was going. She would not just let allies fight and die to keep her safe. She could do more than that. She _would_!

The Heartless were distracted by the light and the sudden change that they did not understand, and their attacks briefly became disconcerted and slow. Determined and fighting wildly, Kairi seized the opportunity and moved as quickly as she could--until she made it to the last remnants of fading light.

_This Keyblade restores hearts. I need it to save Sora and Riku, but that doesn't mean I can't use it on other people, too. I won't let Aerith fall here. I refuse to lose any more friends!_

Kairi let out a cry, lunging and stabbing the Keyblade into the air that, a moment ago, had been a chest encasing a beating heart.

_Please let this work... I have to save her!_

Light began to gather around the blade again, a gentle pulsing that was dim at first but slowly grew, becoming more pronounced as the woman's faint outline began to reform.

The Heartless froze completely, watching in just as much awe as the six humans as a woman who had been _gone_ came back, light flowing from the blade to refill her chest. In a moment it was all over, and Aerith stood across from Kairi, smiling her gentle smile and looking completely unscathed. "Thank you," the woman breathed, and Kairi could see that her eyes were still wet, "Thank you."

That was the last that Kairi knew before she collapsed.

* * *

Despite the fact that she had been watching the entire battle and was witnessing the progress that the others were making, Iraki still remained unable to feel the hope and determination that everyone else seemed to have. After all, she could easily see from her vantage point just how vast the army of enemies was and just how far she was from the group of would-be saviors. The Heartless around her kept any warmth from her body, and the Keyblade at her neck was even more threatening than they were. But what discouraged Iraki more than anything was the boy beside her, tightly clutching her arm with one hand, hurting her just with his grip. A boy who, once, had wanted nothing more than to make her smile and laugh but who now reveled in making her suffer. If he could be like this now, and not only that, but was even the one controlling everything that they were up against, then what hope was there of their success? 

Iraki's heart plummeted even further at the sight of the blond man's near-demise, followed by one from Kairi. And then, for a moment, the woman in pink's demise seemed to be _happening_, the sight of which numbed the girl to the core. But after that, everything quite suddenly turned around.

She could feel it when the White Keyblade was stolen from Aros's possession. There was a flare of energy and a _pull_, so close that, for a second, she thought the Heartless were finally succeeding in tearing her heart from her body. But she quickly realized that, while the pull tugged on her heart, it was directed at another--and the Keyblade that he should not have been carrying in the first place.

And suddenly he no longer was, and Kairi was not only holding it but doing the impossible and saving that woman from certain-death. Everyone froze to watch, even the Heartless, as if mesmerized by the sight of this sudden turn in the tide of the battle's fortune. And even Iraki felt a tiny hope inside her then. If Kairi had the White Keyblade, she could make it through this. She could get to Aros, and maybe she could even get them both out of there alive. Already Kairi had done more than she'd thought possible, so maybe...

...but then Kairi collapsed. And Iraki began to panic all over again.

_No. No! We were so close. Things were getting better! She had the Keyblade, she-_

_...can Aros take it back now? If he gets that Keyblade again, then..._

Aros was tense beside her, watching the proceedings with a scowl on his face. He looked annoyed, but his own Keyblade was still pressed against Iraki's neck, and he had her as tightly in his grasp as ever. Losing the White Keyblade had been a blow, yes, but the fight was far from over. If anything, the loss had made him look even more crazed, his face now twisted, not with gloating confidence, but with hatred and spite.

_But even if he does get it back, Kairi took the Keyblade from him. He's not the Master--she...and I...wait...could I do the same thing? Can I get it from her?_

Iraki watched as the woman in pink immediately began to defend the girl. The others fought to reach the pair, and Iraki couldn't help but wonder why. How could Kairi do anything more to complete their mission when she wasn't even conscious?

_She can't. But...if I could get the Keyblade, I could make a difference for once. I wouldn't just be helpless, standing here in Aros's control. I could **do** something!_

Iraki bit her lip, glancing at Aros again. He was entirely focused on Kairi and her allies, sparing no attention for Iraki. He obviously didn't think she was even a threat.

_Because I don't act like one... I can't just stand here! But...am I strong enough? Can I really do it? I don't think I...but I should **try**..._

She concentrated, closing her eyes and thinking of the White Keyblade that she had held for so long. It had been hers originally, so why shouldn't it come back to her?

_Maybe I just need to want it enough? To get away from Aros...to help the others...I **need** it..._

"What are you _doing_?"

Iraki was jarred from her thoughts by the voice, icy and angry and hardly recognizable but still, somewhere deep within the words, too familiar to ignore. She opened her eyes, but this only led her to gasp in surprise as she saw white light around her hand. _Was I really doing it?_ But the light dispersed at her distraction, and Iraki cried out as Aros kicked her sharply in the legs, bringing her to her knees. And as she stared at his face, her mind racing, struggling to regain the concentration she had lost and finish what she'd started, the mad glint in his brown eyes intensified, and he raised his Keyblade.

_No!_

Cold exploded within her as the Black Keyblade buried itself inside her chest, and Iraki could only let out a faint gasp before her breath was stolen from her, frozen within her lungs.

_No_...

She had succeeded; she had actually managed to do _something_ besides be a pawn. But all that had done was brought the wrath of this boy upon her at last.

_But he did this before. He stabbed me and **protected** me last time! Maybe he won't..._

_No, he's not the same this time. He's not himself anymore, not at all. There's no reason he would stop._

Iraki fought to breathe, fought to _think_, fought to do _something_ to stop this. She stared up at Aros with fearful eyes, but he just leered down at her, as if he were _enjoying_ it.

_Aros... I can't let him have me. I still have people to protect! Kairi is out cold, and the others are in danger. If I go now, it's as if I never saved Kairi in the first place. As if I never accomplished **anything**._

The cold was digging deeper inside her, pulling at her light, struggling to get past the lock that the very same Keyblade had created. Iraki had no doubt that it could succeed.

_But I can't let it! Everyone's fought so hard. If we all fall here, what happens then? Can the others finish this without us?_

_I can't go now. I won't. **I WON'T!**_

Light flared around Iraki's hand again, growing brighter this time, spreading out until it formed a blade. But Iraki, caught up in the darkness, hardly saw it. All her concentration was focused on _feeling_, on grabbing that light and pulling it to her, on using her heart even as it was assaulted. And then on making one, single move with her arm.

Aros _screamed_ as the White Keyblade plunged into his chest. Energy began to crackle around it as Iraki, lost inside the darkness that was plaguing her, could think only of stopping him, of escaping, and nothing of the repercussions of what she was doing. It didn't occur to her that the White Keyblade, while it could restore hearts, could also destroy them. Or that when she attacked him with it like this, darkness and hatred and anger and determination filling her, flowing from her, the Keyblade did not have physical damage on its mind...

The cold stopped as abruptly as it had come, the Black Keyblade dissolving to disappear within Aros as he writhed and screamed before her. It was only then that Iraki opened her eyes and saw the Keyblade in her hand with one end stuck in his chest. And it was only then that she realized what she was doing to him. "Aros!"

Iraki tried to stop what was happening, to reverse the process, to restore his heart instead of destroying it, but she was too frantic, too injured, too full of conflicting emotions, and the Keyblade gave no response to her pleas. Finally, in desperation, she pulled back on it, yanking it from his chest. And as she watched in shock, Aros collapsed into the Heartless around them. Horrified, Iraki stumbled back, heedless of the shadows who were still attacking her as she stared at where Aros had just a moment ago been standing. "Aros?" she asked, feebly.

Only the chatter of the Heartless met her words.

"Aros!" Silence. "_Aros_!"

"Get out of there!" Iraki turned in surprise as a brown-haired man grabbed her arm, dragging her forward and...away from the Heartless?

_They're dispersing..._

Iraki found herself just outside what was left of the sea of Heartless--now a raging torrent fleeing to disappear into the shadows around the edges of the district. The man was holding her arm firmly, and a dark-haired girl stood behind him, breathing hard, shuriken raised as if ready to attack. Next to them was the woman in pink, leaning heavily against the man with spiky golden hair, who had an unconscious Kairi in his arms. Iraki knew that this was the whole group of people Kairi had brought with her. They were all okay, and the Heartless were leaving...

"You did it," the brunette in pink declared, giving Iraki a warm smile.

Iraki blinked. She had, hadn't she? The Heartless were leaving now. They had _won_, and she had been the one to do it.

_But what about Aros?_

Turning back to where the boy and the Heartless had been, however, Iraki now found only empty pavement. "But...where did he go?" she breathed, her voice shaking slightly.

"They must have swallowed him," the blond man replied flatly.

Iraki's eyes widened at this statement, all thoughts of victory fleeing her mind, and, pulling herself from the man's arm in her grief, she collapsed to her knees and began to sob.


	48. Reunion

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, and happy holidays, everyone!

In honor of the holiday season, there will be **two** new chapters of this fic within the next few days. One is today (obviously), and the other willl be up soon! They're both very important chapters. In fact, 49 is one I have been waiting to reach for a _long_ time. So hopefully they'll make you smile!

I actually depart in two weeks for a semester studying in Spain, so the truth is, these two might be the last chapters you see from me until the summer. But if that's the case, I'll try to go out with a bang!

Special thanks to Akai Kitsune for her lovely beta help. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 48: Reunion**

"You weak fool."

_What?_

"I gave you power. I gave you guidance. And what did you give me?"

_Why are you...?_

"Nothing. You grew weaker, you failed, you made _them_ stronger!"

_What am I...?_

"It's over now. There is nothing I will gain by allowing you to remain in control."

_What? No!_

"Farewell, Aros."

* * *

Sora shot straight up in bed at the sight of two figures stepping into his room. He immediately recognized Iraki, but, to his surprise, he found Leon standing beside her. Not only that, but Sora's eyes widened as he realized that they weren't the only ones who had come in. There was a girl held gently in Leon's arms--a girl identical to Iraki. "What happened?" Sora cried. 

Leon glanced at Iraki, but when she didn't respond, he stated, "Kairi's fine; don't worry. She just exhausted herself." As Sora watched anxiously, he carefully laid the girl on the bed next to his. Then, shooting Iraki a rather stern look, said, "I have to meet with the queen," and turned on his heel and left.

Sora watched him go, but then turned his attention to Kairi's parallel. Iraki looked positively terrified. Her hair was a mess, and she was tugging at it as she stood. She kept her head lowered, but even though her face was shadowed, Sora could just see the red around her eyes and the tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Iraki?" Sora asked, his tone gentle. He watched the girl uncertainly as she stayed where she was, eyes focused on Kairi and, if anything, looking even more uncomfortable now that he had addressed her. "What happened?" he prodded, but, realizing that question wasn't likely to get an answer, switched to, "Did you go to Traverse Town? Who came back with you?"

Iraki finally turned to him, apparently deciding that was a question that she could answer. She chewed her lip, and the light from the room clearly revealed the wetness in her eyes now that she was facing him. "Leon," she started, "Yuffie, Aerith, and...Cloud."

"Cloud?" Sora repeated, blinking. It wasn't that he had forgotten the blond man from the Coliseum, but he hadn't expected him to turn up elsewhere, and certainly not in that particular group. "Why is he with them?"

For the first time, Iraki made direct eye contact, and Sora was glad for his question. His curiosity seemed to have snapped her out of whatever she was thinking about--at least for a second. "Why wouldn't he be?" she asked, "Isn't he with Aerith?"

Sora stared. "With _Aerith_?" he repeated incredulously.

_He told me he was looking for someone--his "light," he said. All this time, and I never once thought... If he'd just said her name, I could have told him where she was!_

Even though the thought was a bit disheartening, Sora forced himself not to dwell on it. After all, he knew these things happened for a reason, and he was sure that Cloud had learned important lessons from his brush with the darkness and whatever he had gone through afterwards in his search. The man had found her himself, instead of having the answer handed to him. And when he looked at it like that, Sora was sure that was the best thing that could possibly have happened.

And so he focused back on Iraki again. The girl hadn't responded to his comment--she looked just as uncomfortable as ever and was avoiding his gaze again--and Sora realized that he _still_ didn't know a thing about what they'd all just been through. "How did they get involved?" he asked, keeping his tone gentle and hoping that he could get to some answers if he went step by step. And not only that, but maybe he could calm her down a bit. She had obviously gone through something that had left her in horrible pain.

Iraki hesitated for a moment, glancing up at him from beneath the obscuring hair that hung down from her lowered head. "They told me that they found Kairi when she got there," she finally started, her voice timid, "She was hurt, and they helped her out. She told them what she was there for, so...they went with her." Her words sounded sad, as though she wished they hadn't chosen to do what they had. And she let her explanation end there.

Sora nodded at her, as if her uncertainty didn't exist, and said, "Yeah, that's not surprising. They helped with the Heartless last time, too."

"They almost didn't all make it..."

Sora raised an eyebrow, watching the girl who still refused to look at him. _Is that what this is about? She feels bad because they got hurt rescuing her?_ "But they made it back, and everyone's okay."

Iraki did not respond, her expression tightening.

Sora frowned. Why wasn't she at least nodding? Leon had assured him that Kairi was okay, and no one had said a word to make it sound like any of the others weren't. Hadn't they all made it back? "Iraki?" he pressed, "Is someone hurt?"

Quite abruptly, the girl before him collapsed to the floor at the edge of the bed and erupted into sobs, burying her face in the comforter. "Aros," she choked out, though the words were so muffled that Sora wasn't sure he'd heard her right.

"Aros?" he repeated tentatively.

Iraki nodded, pulling her head up a bit to gaze at him with tear-filled green eyes. "I...think the darkness took him." Her words were quiet and marred by sobs. "Because of me..."

Sora's eyes widened. "He's _gone_?"

Iraki nodded again, burying her head back in the comforter so that her words were hard to understand. "I did it...I used the White Keyblade...he's gone..."

"Iraki..." Sora just watched her for a moment as her body was wracked with her weeping, but then, straining against his exhaustion, he reached out and attempted to set his hand on her shoulder, only succeeding in brushing it. "Shh, Iraki," he whispered, trying to sound as comforting as he could, "You had to get free and get the Keyblade back--and everyone else back, right?"

"But...but Aros was..." she protested.

"Shh," Sora repeated, brushing her shoulder again. And then, voice tight, he added, "I know how you feel. I know what it's like...to fight a friend."

Iraki looked over at him then, and Sora tried to smile reassuringly, but she just dissolved into tears all over again. "I didn't want to hurt him..." she whimpered, "He...he hurts us all, but I never wanted..."

"I know." Sora frowned, wishing he could cheer her up but not sure how to do so. He could reassure her that she had won and everyone else was all right until he was blue in the face, but he had a feeling that it would do nothing to change how she felt about the one who _wasn't_ okay--enemy or not.

_But how could he be gone? He's been controlling the Heartless--controlling **everything**. If he's really gone, what happens now? Maybe...the Heartless will stop working together? Maybe it'll be more like last time, and we can finish this!_

Sora could not share these thoughts with Iraki, however. He knew that they would bring her no comfort. After all, as glad as he himself was about such a possibility, he couldn't help but feel sadness over Iraki's news as well. _Taken by the darkness...did he deserve that?_

And so Sora did the only thing he could do, feebly brushing her shoulder and shushing her as she continued to cry, letting out the emotions that were tearing her apart. And after a while, very softly, he broke in, "It's not over yet, Iraki."

The girl neither looked at him nor responded, but her breath caught, her sobs stopping for just this moment.

"We still have to make everything right again. The Aros you knew at first...he would have wanted that, right? For everything to be fixed?"

Iraki turned to him, staring for a moment, her frozen tears quivering in her eyes but not falling. And she nodded, just faintly, so that the movement was almost imperceptible. Then she turned away again, staring down at the floor. "Do you want me to heal you?" she breathed feebly.

Sora blinked in surprise. "No, not me!" he declared immediately, smiling slightly, as if the suggestion were amusing--or he was just glad she'd made it. Then he frowned, his expression growing serious, and he glanced at the other bed before looking at the girl again, trying to catch her gaze. "Riku doesn't look very good," he stated, "He needs help as soon as he can get it."

Iraki frowned as well and raised a hand to wipe her eyes before she finally met Sora's gaze. "I'll _try_," she said uncertainly.

Sora smiled encouragingly. "That's all you have to do."

* * *

It was dark. 

This was not remarkable; if he knew one thing, it was darkness. He even knew this place--he had been forced to wander here once before. But something was different this time. It was as _blank_ as ever, but it wasn't as cold as it had been last time.

_I'm not gone. My heart is still here...isn't it? _

But even if the warmth he was feeling _was_ his heart, it was faint--too faint to get him out of the darkness.

_But I can try..._

Grabbing onto that warmth, he attempted to pull it toward him--to immerse himself in it. But it was too small, and something was holding it away from him. He could tell the warmth was just at arm's reach, but he could draw it no closer.

_Then...all I can do is hold onto it..._

And so he did, continuing to try to pull it to him, but not so hard that he ever risked letting go. He knew what would happen if he did that, and it was not an option--no matter how long he had to wander here, his second time in this cold, dark place.

It was a resolution he wanted to believe he could keep.

And, luckily--or, really, because of friends far more than luck--it wasn't one he had to keep for long. A light came, out of nowhere, forcing him to close his eyes against it because he had been in the darkness for so long.

But even though he could not look at the light, he could feel it, and it changed the warmth he was just barely gripping, energizing it, and energizing _him_, so that suddenly it was coming toward him, though he couldn't tell if it was doing so by its own power or by his.

Nor did he care. Far more important to him was the fact that his body--his being, whatever he was in this place--was growing steadily warmer and more whole.

_My heart is getting stronger. It's coming back to me..._

And he quit caring that he could not face the light and couldn't even tell if the effort he was making to seize his own heart was making any difference. All that mattered was that it was happening, and the light was _here_, in this place, and even as he kept his eyes shut tight against it, he basked in the light and the warmth and let it flow over him, through him, _inside_ him, mending the heart that had been damaged and, at last, bringing him away from this place and back to himself.

_"Riku?"_

* * *

"Riku?" Iraki asked, watching as the silver-haired young man tossed, just faintly, his body squirming under the force of the Keyblade in his chest. 

_It's almost done. I can feel it!_

Giving one more burst of energy, Iraki felt a sudden, strong beat from his heart, so powerful that it echoed through her. And at that, she withdrew the White Keyblade from his chest and let it fade away, sagging in her seat. "Riku?" she asked again, her voice breathy. She blinked sleepily. _I gave too much. But he needed it...and I have to make sure he's okay..._ "Riku?"

The young man before her blinked and slowly opened his eyes, immediately raising a hand to shade them. "Kairi?" was the first word out of his mouth as he glanced at her.

The smile that had begun to break out on Iraki's face disappeared, and she looked down, shaking her head. "I'm Iraki," she said softly.

Riku's eyes widened, though he quickly lidded them again against the light. He pulled himself to a sitting position, reaching out to set his hand on hers. "Thank you."

Iraki's eyes widened now, and she glanced up at him timidly, shaking her head again. "I couldn't have done it on my own. Sora...Kairi...our friends in Traverse Town... I got a lot of help."

Riku blinked. He didn't let go of her hand, but, apparently too curious and concerned to do anything else, he allowed the subject to change. "Where are they? How are they?"

Iraki smiled, but her expression was a little sad. "Kairi is resting right here," she explained, knowing Riku couldn't really look around the room, "And she'll heal Sora when she wakes up. He's right..." She paused as she turned to gesture to the other Keyblade Master. To her surprise, she found him lying relaxed in his bed, apparently sleeping peacefully. "He's...here resting, too. And the others are all...fine." Her voice caught slightly on the last word, her smile wavering. She knew Riku would not have been asking about Aros, but in her own mind, she didn't want to act as if he didn't count. _He's felt like that's the truth for too long already... _But then she blinked in sudden remembrance, shaking herself from her thoughts. "Oh!" And, picking up a cloth from the table beside the bed, she said, "Here you go," and gently reached out and tied it around his head.

Riku smiled gratefully, reaching up to pull the cloth down until it all but covered his two blue eyes. He was still looking at her with concern, but he didn't ask for elaboration on her previous comments. "Thank you. And that's good news to hear. You've done a lot."

Iraki's eyes widened. "I...I really haven't!" she protested, "Like I said, it was only because I had so much help. I'm just glad...it turned out all right."

Riku just smiled at her. "I'm back because of you," he commented softly, obviously trying to get through to her, but Iraki still could not acknowledge any accomplishment. Not when she considered what had happened--and what it had cost.

The girl looked down, shaking her head. "Please don't."

Riku frowned then. "You haven't changed."

_What?_ Iraki blinked up at him in surprise, and this time Riku looked down, expression sad.

"I've been away for a while, haven't I? But you haven't changed." He glanced up at her again, but his expression had shifted, and Iraki flinched back. His gaze was almost dangerous. "Are you still planning to do it? Fall to the darkness?" he hissed, voice low and threatening.

Iraki recoiled from the words, bringing her hands to her chest and hugging herself as if she'd been struck. "That's not...I didn't say anything..."

Riku sighed, the frightening expression fading as quickly as it had appeared, though the girl would not soon forget it. "Look..." He hesitated, gazing at her with conflict now. "Sorry. I'm no good at this. But you just saved me! _Again_." He shook his head. "Some feeling that is..."

"Riku..."

He shook his head again, interrupting. "I couldn't help what happened this time, so I'm not going to waste my time beating myself up over it. I've got enough other things I can do that for." He smiled wryly. "But you know what, Iraki? I can think whatever I want about myself, but I can never stop what I'm doing because of it." He smiled faintly then, blue eyes flashing, just barely visible under the scrap of cloth, and lifted his hand to touch her cheek. "And I think you can't either."

Iraki's eyes widened, and she stiffened, though much more in response to the contact than his words. "Riku, what...?"

"Just don't underestimate yourself, all right?" he continued, "We're counting on you."

Iraki just stared for a moment. _Counting on **me**? But who? And why? I haven't done anything to give them reason to!_

Riku's gaze was intense again, however, and she knew he would not let her ignore his words. So she forced a weak smile, trying to look determined. "I'll...try not to let anyone down..."

"You won't."

"But I-"

"You _won't_."

Iraki was quiet again before she gave a faint nod.

Riku smiled warmly, letting his hand drop. "Good. Now, you should get some rest."

Iraki made to protest, but he interrupted her again.

"I'm still tired, and you have to be after what you did. Kairi won't be awake for a while, and she can get the Keyblade from you then. And I'm sure she and Sora can rest just fine on their own in the meantime."

A smile tugged at Iraki's lips at the comment. "You're right," she acknowledged, finally finding the voice that his words seemed to quell so easily. "You should sleep, then! And...I will, too."

Riku nodded, relaxing back against the bed and letting his eyes close. "See you when you wake up, Iraki."

For some reason, those words gave her courage, and the smile on his face said that he'd known that they'd have that effect. But she couldn't help the warm feeling that was growing in her heart. "Yes, see you then." And for the first time in longer than she could remember, she almost thought she could be strong when she woke.

It was a beautiful feeling, and she hoped to never let it go.

In fact, Iraki was so distracted by her feelings that she didn't see the blue eyes that opened after she had left the room, a goofy grin spreading out on a face even as Riku opened his eyes and shook his head at the other young man.

* * *

"You four aren't _really_ going out into that by yourselves, are you?" Ronald asked. The duck was hopping from foot to foot and adjusting the magician's hat that was balanced precariously on his head even as he kept shooting nervous glances at the front doors of the palace, as if looking at the wood could possibly tell him what was going on beyond it. 

Four Keyblade Masters stood before him, fully rested and healed, though two had blindfolds over their eyes to protect against the aftereffects of their recent experiences. Three already held drawn Keyblades, while Kairi still had the sword the queen had given her. Iraki had protested when she'd realized Kairi meant for the Keyblade to be in her possession, but the other had insisted so much on returning the Keyblade to her that even Iraki couldn't argue forever.

"We don't have a choice," Riku replied curtly, rolling his eyes at the overly-emotional duck. "Isn't this what the king wanted us to do from the beginning? The only reason we stayed here was because we were never all ready to leave."

"Be nice, Riku," Kairi chided.

Riku's expression seemed a bit subdued at the rebuke, but he simply stepped forward. "Look, we are grateful for your concern and your help, all right? But we have to keep moving forward."

"And they better do it soon," Draggy piped up, the dog coming up to the group from the opposite hallway, stopping beside his duck companion. His expression was grim as he turned to the Keyblade Masters. "The soldiers aren't doing so good," he stated, "So ya'll better get out of here while the getting's still good."

Ronald turned to Draggy in alarm. "What do you mean 'not so good'?" he cried, "Are the Heartless...?"

Draggy nodded solemnly. "In the castle, yup. So let's get ya'll on your way. And here, for the road." He lifted both his hands, in which were clutched three backpacks just like the one Ronald had given Kairi before. "It's not much, but hopefully they'll come in handy."

"Thanks," Sora broke in before Ronald could respond, flashing the dog and duck a reassuring smile as he took one of the packs. "We'll make sure to use them well."

Kairi nodded, tugging on the strap of the pack she was still wearing. "We really appreciate this."

"Yeah...thanks for the help," Riku echoed, a bit coolly, though his smile said he really did mean the words. He accepted a pack of his own.

Iraki hesitated, however, doing nothing, and the dog shook his head at her. "C'mon now, don't be shy."

"But..." Iraki started, biting her lip, "Your people need these things..."

Draggy snorted. "What, do ya reckon we horde 'em?" he asked, showing more emotion than anyone in the group had ever seen from him--Ronald included, judging by the expression on his face. "You Keyblade Masters need 'em," the dog continued, "We'll make do as long as we can with what we have."

Even at these words, Iraki still didn't reach for the pack, and the dog sighed, stepping up to her and pushing it into her arms. "Look, Miss White Keyblade Master," he started, eyeing her with uncharacteristic fierceness, "We know you and your pals don't really want ta leave this world under siege. But when was the last time we heard from our king or that Ansem? We can't just leave them either. And if the enemy was already tryin' ta keep ya'll from moving on, well...whatever happened aside..." He gave her a stern look with those words. "...the Heartless might still be trying to finish what they started. So take the supplies and get going! The faster ya'll get on your way, the better off the palace is goin' ta be. And that's just how it is. All right?"

Iraki stared at him for another moment, stunned by his words. But then she nodded in something between resignation and acceptance. There was even a slight smile on her face. "Thank you."

Draggy nodded. He didn't smile back, but with his generally drooping, passive face, it seemed that it would have been as disconcerting as his fierceness if he had. "Now get on your way, Keyblade Masters."

"Finally," muttered a gruff voice, and the group looked up to find four more figures suddenly gathered in the doorway, led by the man with a scar across his face who had spoken.

"You weren't really going to leave _without _us, were you?" Yuffie asked, bouncing cheerfully toward the group and waving a finger at them as if she were scolding children.

Sora's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of them. "Leon, Yuffie! Aerith...and Cloud! You all _are_ still here."

Aerith smiled at his words. "You know we never wanted to stay put in Traverse Town last time, either."

"And you four aren't going to get far against that many Heartless," Cloud broke in, his voice soft, serious, inviting no argument--he was as fatalistic as ever.

"But the palace-"

"I think you just went through that argument, Miss Iraki," Ronald interrupted. He sighed, though the gesture seemed a bit theatrically dramatic. "I hate to change my mind easily, but..." A triumphant grin broke out on his face, showing that he really didn't hate the change at all and that, perhaps, his earlier display had been meant only to kill time. After all, one look at his beaming expression showed that he was positively elated by this new development, despite the fact that a moment ago he hadn't been eager to let them go at all. "You've got me convinced. So we're all ready!" he declared before she had a chance to reply, "Four Keyblade Masters, four escorts, and all the soldiers we can spare! Let's get this show on the road!"

"Soldiers? But we-"

But Iraki's protests fell on deaf ears as Ronald took the liberty of bursting through the palace doors, leaving the others with no choice but to follow.

* * *

They had to cross the mirror twice to get to Empty Citadel. This meant that the group needed two people to think of--one on each side of the mirror--to make sure that they all went to the same two destinations. The Keyblade Masters had discussed the problem amongst themselves before leaving, and they shared their decisions with their companions on the way. 

Iraki had wanted to think of Aros during the first crossing. After all, if he were still alive, that should bring them to Traverse Town. But she couldn't mention his name to the group--nor could they seem to mention him to her--and she couldn't risk getting separated from the others. So instead, it was Queen Minnie who was decided on as a focus.

The possibility that the King's Castle had already gone down to the Heartless--putting the queen out of their reach--hung in the air, but no one voiced it. And given the odds, getting to her world was no less likely than any other. Admittedly, Traverse Town would have been the safest destination to try for, but they didn't know anyone who would be there for sure. Not without mentioning Aros.

And so upon their first trip across the mirror, they had found themselves in a cave all but overrun with Heartless. And as tempted as the Keyblade Masters had been to help their friends, there had been no time to see how the King's Castle was doing before plunging right back into the mirror to cross it again.

Which made it time to focus on the second person. The answer for who to focus on this time had been an obvious one. Even though Sora had never met the man, if there was one person they knew was at Empty Citadel, it was Ansem. And so they went, a group of eight, (hopefully) all passing one by one to the destination that they had been kept away from for so long already. It was a moment of anticipation that no one could deny. Especially since they knew that, if they made it to where they were going, they were going to be faced by Heartless on the other side.

But even as Iraki stood, watching the other three Keyblade Masters pass through that shimmering surface before her, there were other worries still weighing down her mind. They were all together again, and they had friends helping them. The four were standing right behind her, in fact, waiting to follow. She knew it was everything she could have asked for on this final trip. Except for one thing.

And as she followed the others through the mirror, focusing on the rambling and scatterbrained scientist that should be on the other side, a stray thought wandered its way into her mind.

_But we haven't all been reunited at all. Aros is gone. And...Kiru._

_Kiru..._

But the distraction could not last long, for only seconds later, all eight emerged on the other side of the mirror, faced by an army of Heartless.

And thus the final leg of their journey began.


	49. The Third White Keyblade Master

Happy holidays again, everyone! As promised, here is the second half of my holiday treat: chapter 49!

I think this chapter will speak for itself, so I won't say anything now---other than get ready for some _very_ important events. Also, I'm off to Spain in less than two weeks, so it could be May or June before this fic sees another update, but don't think I'll forget about it. I can't, after this chapter.

I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter and enjoy this one, too. Special thanks to Akai Kitsune for her really quick beta help. And now, on with the show!

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 49: The Third White Keyblade Master**

The Heartless began to swarm the group the instant they stepped out of the mirror. Even the sound of the waterfall just beyond them was barely audible over the chattering of the creatures, and Sora immediately crouched in preparation for the battle, his Keyblade at the ready. In an instant, he was part of the fray.

Iraki and Kairi were ready just a second later, but by then the Heartless were already upon them. Sora grabbed for a hand and pulled Kairi along behind him, but he turned back in shock to the fourth member of their group, who seemed almost to be in a trance. "Riku!"

Iraki reached back and grabbed the young man's hand, but it was only when a Heartless jumped on his arm and began clawing him that Riku blinked as if waking up, shook his head to clear it, and immediately began to attack the creature. He pulled Iraki forward when it was disposed of, as if his hesitation had never even occurred, and the four Keyblade Masters were all fighting by the time the other four fighters crossed the mirror to find themselves practically overwhelmed by enemies before they had hardly had a chance to register where they were.

"Come on, we have to get to the castle!" Sora called, hesitating before he began to jump on the blocks that were in front of them, not wanting to lose Kairi in the process.

In fact, he was in such a hurry that he didn't even hear Leon behind him as the man softly commented, "Not quite." And as he shot Heartless away from him, he shouted, "Cloud!" giving the other man a look.

The blond warrior, who was wrestling with several shadows that had decided to hang onto his sword, gave a sudden _swing_ to get them off before closing his eyes briefly in concentration. In unison, he cast an ice spell as Leon cast lightning, obliterating many of the Heartless in their immediate vicinity.

"Don't waste your energy!" Riku yelled in alarm as the aftermath of the spells began to fade, "We just need to move forward!"

"Not exactly," Aerith replied, moving close to Cloud, her staff held at the ready. There was a smile on her face that looked so serene Riku could only blink at her in confusion.

"Yeah, we'll get there in a minute." Yuffie moved closer to Leon. And even though Riku was staring at them incredulously, all four continued to set themselves up as if they were preparing to stay put.

"We can't stay here!" Iraki cried, "Even if you destroy the Heartless, more will just keep coming!"

"Just relax for a few minutes!" Yuffie replied, shaking her head as if she were exasperated. The expression was barely visible through the wall of black that was already beginning to separate the group. "Trust us."

At all the commotion, Sora had turned from where he stood on the first of the platforms. He seemed to consider their words now, but only for a second before he jumped back down to the main level, simultaneously helping Kairi down behind him and fending off the Heartless that were attacking them. "All right," he declared, looking at the group cheerfully as he began to cut his way toward them, "We'll stay here for a minute."

"Sora, do you really think that's-" Riku started to protest, but he stopped when the younger man raised a hand, waving it at him so he could see it through the black. Riku hissed as a Heartless took advantage of his distraction and clawed him from behind. He had to turn to fight it, but he didn't miss his friend's next words.

"I trust them," the young man said simply before backing in close to the group of four, letting go of Kairi's hand when she was safely next to him. He held his Keyblade ready as Heartless began to converge on them all.

Riku turned back to him at those words, gritting his teeth, and gave Iraki's hand a tug, pulling the startled girl in toward the others as well. When the whole group was together, he let her go so they could all fight to their fullest.

But before the battle had hardly begun, everyone's attention was pulled away by a shout of, "Thundaga!"

The spell was clearly powerful, and it was followed in short order by more of the same level and some smaller ones, slowly breaking a path through the Heartless so that the mage casting them could reach the group.

"Here she comes," Leon murmured, "Let's go!" And with no more prelude than that, he plunged right back into the fray, straight toward the direction from which the spells were coming.

"Who _is_ that?" Riku called after him, but the question fell on deaf ears.

"You'll see soon," Aerith assured him as she followed Cloud when the blue-eyed man also headed back into the mass of Heartless, giving a shout as he began to tear into them with his bandaged sword.

And just like that, the battle that had briefly been paused came back to life again, except this time the group had a new destination in mind--the female mage not far from where they had been standing.

"Idiots!" the girl raged at Leon when he reached her, though he was too far in front of the Keyblade Masters for them to catch this first meeting.

"Just get them to a safe place!" Leon called over the sounds of the chattering Heartless that surrounded them, "We're going to the castle!"

The girl blinked, and she had to smack a Heartless squarely with her sword to get it off of her when it jumped in her moment of distraction. "Ansem?"

The man didn't bother to respond, discharging his weapon at a Heartless that was trying to jump her from behind. "Get them somewhere safe," he repeated before turning and beginning to fight his way deeper into the heart of the sea of shadows, toward the castle beyond. His companions all shifted course when he did, apparently unsurprised by this change.

The Keyblade Masters, on the other hand, were caught completely off-guard by these developments. None of them had been able to hear the conversation that had passed between their allies and this strange new girl, so their first reaction was to start following the others.

"Hey, hold up!"

Sora turned in surprise at the voice, trying to see the girl calling to him through the Heartless that separated them. "What is it?" he called back.

"They've got their own mission to worry about. C'mon, this way!"

Sora gave one more glance after his previous companions, wondering who this girl was and if they should listen to her. But he realized that none of the others were so much as glancing back at them. That, more than anything, told him that they didn't mean to be followed.

"All right," he declared, slashing at a shadow that had jumped for his face. He turned once it was dealt with, following the girl's directions now. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see!" she called, her form still obscured by the Heartless between them, "C'mon!"

"Sora?" Kairi cried from behind him. He reached back, fumbling for her hand as a shadow jumped between them, but with the help of a blizzard spell he had her in his grip again. However, more Heartless were still after the two, jumping and clawing at them, making it difficult for them to hold onto each other.

"We need to follow her," Sora called back to the girl by way of explanation even as he slashed at a Heartless that was scrabbling at his arm.

"Okay..." Kairi replied as she attacked a Heartless of her own. Her tone was a bit uncertain, but she had never doubted Sora before, and she wasn't about to start now.

"HEY!" the new girl abruptly screamed, calling the attention of all four Keyblade Masters and quite a few Heartless. "Come ON! Everybody who can use a Keyblade THIS WAY!"

"Don't draw the Heartless's attention!" Riku shouted back at her, but he still grabbed Iraki's hand, half-dragging the other girl after him as he changed course as well.

The new girl gave no audible response to his rebuke, but instead let off another Thundaga spell, making it far easier for the group to get close to each other and work together to get to her. Through the Heartless, anyone who looked could just catch a hint of a triumphant expression on her face.

As they followed after her, it at first seemed to Sora that they were being led in the general direction of the castle. But, as bit by bit they were able to move despite the resistance of the Heartless, it quickly became apparent that they were veering far to the right. And so suddenly that he couldn't help a gasp, the scenery of Heartless on all sides changed to one of rushing water, and just as quickly switched again, now to a passageway of smooth stone.

_Did we just go **under** the falls?_

"Keep moving!" the girl called from in front of him, and for the first time, Sora was able to get a good look at her, albeit only from behind. She was tall and slender, and her figure looked well-toned, leading him to believe that she was probably not only a mage but a physical fighter as well--the sword she held confirmed that thought. She had very long but fine dark hair that was pulled back by a nondescript tie, which he thought was red, though it was hard to see amongst the strands. She wore a red tank top and jeans over tennis shoes, looking for all the world like any other teenager, if not for that sword in her hand.

_So she's not a castle soldier--not dressed like that. Then who is she? Why is she here, and why are we supposed to go with her?_

"Hurry up!" the girl snapped, turning to him with brown eyes that were glaring with annoyance.

"Sora," Kairi said softly, giving his hand a gentle tug, looking at him with concern over his hesitation.

He just flashed the girl a reassuring grin. "Well, you heard her," he said, as if he weren't the only one she'd been yelling at for being slow, "Let's go!"

"Then stop daydreaming."

Sora glanced behind himself and Kairi to find that Riku and Iraki had just joined them, the boy grinning at him with that superior grin that he had seen for so many years and then not again for what felt like too long.

"I'm not!" Sora protested in response, breaking out into a run that caught Kairi completely off-guard.

And despite the situation, the girl let out a laugh as she was pulled after him. It was only then that Sora realized none of the Heartless were so much as touching this passageway under the falls.

_I wonder why?_

But Sora, like Kairi, wanted to enjoy this time outside of battle, so he didn't say a word and just kept going. Riku, on the other hand, was apparently being a bit more logical.

"What's your name?" he demanded, tugging on Iraki's hand to hurry her after the others.

"Huh?" The new girl turned to them again, still looking annoyed. "How about introducing yourself first before you start telling other people what to do." It wasn't a question; it was an order. She scowled at the group.

Sensing an impending confrontation, Sora purposefully stepped up right between Riku and the girl, letting go of Kairi's hand in the process. "I'm Sora!" he declared, holding out his hand to her. "And these are Kairi, Iraki, and that sour one is Riku."

Riku let out a noise of protest, but Sora's grin just widened.

The girl snorted in amusement, taking his hand and giving it a brief shake. "Iri," she stated simply before turning around again, "Is that better? We don't have time for this."

"Iriak."

The girl froze, looking disconcerted for the first time since they'd met her. She turned slowly to face Riku, eyes afire. "What did you call me?"

Riku stared back just as intensely. "It's your name, isn't it?"

"My name is _Iri_. Where did you hear anything else, huh? Who told you?"

Riku smirked. "So it _is_ your name."

Sora sighed at the sight of their expressions, shaking his head, but the girl positively bristled.

"And what's it to _you_? You call me that name one more time, and this is the end of the road!"

"Riku..." Kairi broke in then, looking from the girl to the boy with a frown and a determined gleam in her eyes. Sora smiled, knowing that, if anyone was going to break up this argument, she would be the best for it. But there was something troubled about her expression as well, and the boy had a feeling he knew what she was going to say. He had noticed, too. "You know it because her name...it's mine backwards."

Iri's rage seemed to fade a bit at that, and the sword that she had begun to raise in her anger went back to resting by her side. "Yeah. What did you expect?" Her tone was still sour, but that emotion didn't seem as genuine as before.

"You mean..." Iraki piped up, "That you're her..._our_...opposite?"

"Well, you don't get three White Keyblade Masters out of two different people," Iri replied wryly, rolling her eyes, "Of course we're the same."

"So you are the third White Keyblade Master," Riku commented, sounding as though she'd just confirmed something he already knew, although considering the way he was acting, Sora couldn't help but think that he would have responded like that no matter what she said.

"Heh, real brilliant group." Iri's tone was dry. "Are we done? The Heartless might eventually start following if we don't get our hearts far enough from that entrance pretty quick." And without waiting for a reply, she turned and started forward again.

Sora simply watched after her for a moment, trying to piece together the things he'd just learned with what he already knew. _The third White Keyblade Master...so she's the girl Ansem mentioned. Well, that explains why she's running around alone even when the Heartless are attacking this world! But...this still doesn't make sense... How can there be three of Kairi? I thought there was only supposed to be two._

"You're really Kairi's opposite?" he asked abruptly, his tone full of the curiosity and wonder usually reserved for encountering a new world, "She already has a parallel, but that's still possible?"

Iri glanced back at him, an eyebrow raised at the question. "Of course it's possible!" she snapped, though her tone didn't seem to hold quite the same bite as it had toward Riku, "Just because it's not _supposed_ to be that way doesn't mean it _won't_. I thought you all would have at least figured _that_ out by now." She rolled her eyes. "Now are we moving, or do I have to start dragging you?"

"We're moving," Kairi broke in. Sora glanced at her in surprise. Her tone was hard to fathom; it was very flat, but he could sense the tension in it. She obviously didn't like the way the conversation had been going, though whether it was because of the fighting or just Iri's attitude in general was hard to say.

_Or maybe she's worried about what we were talking about?_

Without another word, however, she took Sora's hand and started ahead, tugging for him to follow. He quickly matched her pace, the two passing Iri in the process.

"Finally." The dark-haired girl shook her head in an exasperated fashion and went after them, and Riku followed her with his arms crossed over his chest and his expression hard. Iraki walked alone behind him, her face exuding worry.

The group continued like that for a while, the passage stretching on endlessly before them without even the slightest change either in front or behind. The walls were gray rock, and even though they were smooth, there were enough twists and imperfections that the cave looked natural, not created. Sora couldn't help being disappointed that it wasn't a little more _interesting_. Just one plain path to walk down didn't give them much to see, especially considering it was behind those amazing falls.

On the other hand, despite all of Iri's complaints, it seemed that no Heartless were following them. The silence was boring--it couldn't be any fun at all when the Keyblade Masters were so tense! But Sora reminded himself to be thankful for this time. At least for once there was no fighting to be done--and no one being hurt.

But the silence was a bit too thick, and the young man finally decided that this needed to change. After all, what reason did the five of them really have to not get along? Personality differences could usually be resolved just by getting to know the person a little better!

With this new tactic in mind, he pondered how to break the silence. Grinning in his typical friendly manner, he started, "So...Iri?"

The girl gave him a glance that seemed more suspicious than curious in response. "What is it?" she asked, a bit warily.

"I was wondering..." Sora continued casually, "you're from here, right? Like...this world. Hey, did you and Iraki ever-"

"Iri? Is that you?"

All four Keyblade Masters froze at the new voice, Sora's question dying in the air. Only Iri turned in the direction from which it had come, not seeming the least bit surprised. "Yeah. Who did you expect?"

"Who's with you?" came the voice again. Its tone was a bit fearful, and the person ignored the girl's attitude completely. The origin of the sound was clearly somewhere farther down the passage from where they all stood, but that wasn't what kept the four from moving or responding.

_That voice...it sounds just like Riku. Is that...?_

Sora's mind raced, struggling for an explanation, and he was sure his companions were trying to do the same.

For her part, Iri rolled her eyes at them all and continued on as if nothing were odd. "The other Keyblade Masters. Why are you so far away? I thought you wanted to see them."

"I...I do." The voice caught a bit in a way that was very not like Riku.

_Are there three of him, too? Or...?_

"Then stop being so scared! You can walk now, can't you? Come on."

"You're as friendly as ever." This time a smile was audible in the voice, although there was still clear nervousness beneath it.

"Well, I'd come your way, but I think they're all as stuck as you are."

"Are they...?" The tone of these words was hard to place. It was still frightened, but it also seemed to hold something a bit hopeful, or perhaps wistful, or both...

"Yeah. So get over here and quit holding them in suspense!" To everyone's surprise, Iri added a few words with apparently uncharacteristic softness in her voice. "You don't need to be scared of being seen."

There was a pause, and what sounded suspiciously like a faint laugh. "I'm not afraid of that."

"Then what are you doing? Come on, we're waiting! Kiru!"

Sora's eyes widened, and he felt Kairi stiffen. _Kiru? Did she just say Kiru? But he..._

They heard footsteps then--faint ones, at first, and slow, but they grew stronger as the figure drew closer. He started as nothing more than a silhouette against the darkness of the passage, but the glint of silver hair soon became clear in the dim light, followed by two bright blue eyes. The body was familiar as well, but not as much as they had expected. He didn't look half as much like Riku as he used to, not when he was now covered with small, red, paper-thin scars. They ran over every inch of visible skin, sometimes breaking out into more severe wounds or obscured by the bandages that crisscrossed his limbs and face. But even with the changes, the person who was standing before them was unmistakable.

Iraki was the first to find her voice, though it was tight and strained with disbelief--and faint hope. "...Kiru?"


	50. One Last Step

Hello everyone! I said in December that I probably wouldn't manage another update until May or June because of my semester abroad in Spain, andI'm actually still in Spain right now, but I got the chapter finished.So here it is!

Just as a note, due to the fact that I am still in Europe, where KH2 won't be released until October (not that I have PS2 here anyway), I haven't gotten to play the game yet. I'm not sure when I will, but even after I do, this fic will (of course) continue to be completely AU. Currently, I'm not planning to relate it to KH2 _at all_. Also, considering I haven't played the game, please don't mention it in reviews, okay? Thanks!

Special thanks to Ginger Ninja and Akai Kitsune for their beta help! And that said, onto the chapter!

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 50: One Last Step**

The scarred man gave a smile to the group, as if to acknowledge that yes, he was who they thought he was, though the expression was a bit forced. He drew no closer to them. But after a bit of hesitation, a word that was hardly more than a whisper finally slipped from his cracked lips, acknowledging his identity more than anything else would. "Iraki..."

"You're alive," Riku stated. It almost sounded like an accusation, and Kiru, after blinking in surprise, smiled for real in response.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

The teen shook his head with a wry grin. "I thought I saw you when I crossed, but...wow..." He stared at Kiru, the other boy shifting a bit uncomfortably at the scrutiny. He relaxed somewhat, however, when Riku just grinned as if there were nothing appalling about his appearance. "It really _is_ you."

"But you...I thought..." Iraki's words were even softer than the blue-eyed teen's had been, barely audible beneath Riku's last comment. And as Kiru turned his gaze back to her, her lip began to quiver.

His smile slipped at that, his expression turning to one of tender regret. "Iri saved me," he explained, forcing a comforting smile back to his face with the words, "She found me when I got here, and her magic just barely kept me alive. I'm still not fully healed, but...yes. I'm still alive."

"You're still alive..." Iraki repeated softly, her tone awed, the words just as soft as before, "You're...still alive." Strength began to return to her voice as her eyes abruptly overflowed. "Kiru, I missed you!" And with that, she pulled her hand from Riku's grasp, clearing the space between herself and the other in a run and throwing her arms around one person she'd thought she would never be able to hug again.

"Shh," Kiru murmured, hugging her back tightly, "So are you. It's so good to see you again..."

Iri rolled her eyes at the spectacle. "And you were afraid."

But the two were completely oblivious to the world.

"Kiru..." Iraki breathed again, running a hand along his face, very gently grazing white linen and the angry red lines that now marred his skin. "It looks so painful..."

Kiru pulled back, head lowered, turning his face slightly away from her. "Don't worry," he said, the smile on his features still a forced one, "I'm very lucky that I'm here at all. So...I don't mind. There was no way to prevent it."

Iraki frowned, still looking at him, but Kiru kept his face tilted as if that could somehow hide what was visible all over his body. There was an uncomfortable silence.

"It's good to have you back," Riku spoke up, drawing Kiru's gaze to him. He smirked, then gave the other young man a look. "But you'd better not pull another move like that. Ever."

Kiru smiled faintly. "I'm not planning on it..."

"Just don't _do_ it."

"What I think Riku is trying to say..." Sora broke in, stepping up next to his companion and putting a hand on his shoulder, "...is that he's happy to see you." He grinned as Riku gawked with a defensive expression, and the brown-haired boy extended his other hand. "I'm Sora! Well, I guess you knew that..." He scuffed a toe, his grin growing sheepish but staying just as wide. "But it's great to finally meet you!"

Kiru just looked surprised for a moment before he finally took Sora's proffered hand. "Really, it's great to meet _you_," he said, his awe obvious in his tone, "Sora! You really are okay again..."

"Yep!" Sora declared immediately, "Good as new! Well, almost." He adjusted the blindfold that was slipping over his eyes, then blinked. "But you heard about it already? From...Ansem, huh?"

"Ah...not exactly," Kiru admitted, glancing at Iraki and then Iri. "Actually...I saw it myself, while I was recovering."

"Another dream?" Riku asked.

Kiru nodded. "Yeah." Another real smile graced his features for a moment at the memory. "After that, I was hoping you'd all make it here!"

Iri, who had been watching the proceedings with as much patience as she could manage--for Kiru's sake, more than anything--even smiled to herself at those words. After all, wanting the others to come running to a battleground was a surprising reaction from the Keyblade Masters' perspective. But she knew how much Kiru had wanted to see them again, no matter how nervous he'd been about it.

_And now he has, so we'd better get back to what's important._

"And they did," she interrupted, a bit pointedly, but not with the venom that she had been addressing Riku with before, "So let's get going, all right? Ansem's not going to get _himself _out of there, you know."

Rather than the assent she'd expected at her statement, however, Iraki gasped. "Ansem's trapped? Is he okay?"

Iri winced, sighing. She had forgotten for a moment that the others wouldn't really know what was going on, and they'd already made it clear that they didn't like following her directions without an explanation. She twitched. "Yeah, the Heartless went at the castle while he was still in his lab. The king's in there, too. We haven't seen either of 'em since." At the looks on the others' faces (and a frown from Kiru), she added, "But knowing them, they're probably still down there. Heh, Ansem's probably even running some new experiment while he waits for us to get our butts there so he can leave."

Kairi blinked, eyes widening in understanding. "So that was why..."

"Why what?" Iri frowned, eyeing the girl with displeasure. This meeting really could be going a lot more smoothly (and faster) than it was.

"You saw we came here with four others," Kairi explained, looking at Iri with a neutral face, trying to minimize conflict as usual. "When they went toward the castle and left us, they were going to save Ansem, right? But they wanted us to meet with you and...Kiru, first."

"But how'd they know?" Sora piped up before Iri could respond, the boy frowning faintly.

"The geezer must've told 'em," Iri replied. "You were all set up for things to go like this." She smirked slightly at the thought. As annoying as explanations were to give, it _was_ a little fun to see their confusion.

"So wh-why are we still waiting?" Iraki broke in, her voice shaking slightly with her unusual attempt to be assertive. "We need to hurry after them!"

Iri blinked, surprised to hear a sentiment that mirrored her own--especially from that source. "Yeah, exactly." Her smirk shifted into a smile. Maybe she could get along with the newbies a little after all. "So c'mon, kiddies! Let's go smash some Heartless into the ground." And with that, she took off, grateful to hear the others follow without a protest--though there was a very audible scowl that originated somewhere in Riku's vicinity.

As they headed forward, Kiru fell into step next to Iraki, taking her hand in his a bit tentatively. She smiled at the touch, squeezing his fingers, but at a sound of displeasure from Iri, they turned to find that she had stopped and was looking back at them. Together, they hurried to catch up. She rolled her eyes.

"So what exactly are we planning to do?" Riku broke in, scowling at Iri again, "If we just barge back into those Heartless, do you really expect us to be able to get to wherever Ansem is? And find the others?"

Iri's eye twitched at that. "Well, I _thought_ you all were Keyblade Masters, but if you're not, you'd better speak up pretty quick so the rest of us can leave you behind."

Riku reddened in anger. "Just because we're Keyblade Masters doesn't mean charging into a castle full of Heartless can't still get us _killed_!"

"Yeah, well maybe you should start concentrating on-"

"But Kiru's still recovering..."

Iri and Riku both turned to Iraki in surprise at her quiet interjection.

"What was that?" Iri demanded.

"Kiru's still recovering from his injuries," Iraki repeated, squeezing Kiru's hand as she looked at the two of them timidly. She heard Kiru clear his throat to speak, however, and glanced at him, frowning. "And don't deny it! You're even limping a little."

Kiru paused with his mouth open in surprise, then frowned as well. "But it's a war, Iraki," he protested, his tone a bit pleading, "I can't just stand off to the side and watch you all fight..."

"Stop that right now!" Iraki immediately cried, "What do you think any of the rest of us have to do when we get hurt? It's not like giving up. You can come back when you're better, but...when you're not, you shouldn't fight! Something...something really bad could happen again if you did." Kiru stared at her for a moment after that outburst, and Iraki averted her gaze. "I was really upset, Kiru," she added softly, all the fire gone from her voice, "I know you wouldn't want me to fall apart over it, but...it was hard not to. Please, _please_ try to take care of yourself from now on. If you do, it'll make us all happy."

"Iraki..."

"Please," she repeated, looking up at him now, though her head was still lowered and her gaze timid.

Kiru hesitated for a second, but then he reached forward, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Iraki," he stated firmly, "I didn't mean to hurt _anyone_. And...definitely not you. I did it because I didn't think I had any choice at the time, but..." He trailed off at the look she gave him, regret visible in his eyes. "I won't ever do anything like that lightly. I promise."

She sighed, turning away. "Please just don't do it at all..."

"I think you're both forgetting something important," Iri broke in, her eye twitching from the sight of their exchange, "No matter what condition Kiru's in, it'd be idiotic to just leave him here alone. Or didja already forget that this whole world's a battleground right now?"

"That's a good point," Sora piped up, hands casually behind his head as if there weren't any arguing going on around him. "But I still don't think running into a bunch of Heartless is really a good idea. I've tried it before, and it's not much fun."

"Oh yeah? Then what do you-"

Sora ignored her, plowing on right on top of her words until she finally scowled and fell quiet. "All right!" he declared, "Usually I like doing things as they come, but we're a pretty big group, so maybe if we all think about things first it'll go better?" He gave his signature goofy grin, even as Iri eyed him skeptically, and continued as if he didn't notice. "Plus, I don't really wanna get separated in the middle of all those Heartless. So! I vote we all talk about where Ansem is and how we're getting there, and then we talk about how we're going to fight all the Heartless. Donald and Goofy and I always did some fighting and some magic and some healing and stuff, so maybe we can do something like that?" He scratched his head. "Any ideas?"

Iri's mouth dropped open, Riku shook his head with a grin, and Kairi couldn't help laughing. The serious atmosphere had dissipated in a mere minute--and all at the hand of the brown-haired Keyblade Master.

"Sora, you never change!"

Sora frowned at the girl, looking a little offended. "What do you mean I never change?"

Kairi giggled. "Don't worry about it, silly. But," she added before any more arguments had a chance to begin, "That does sound like a good idea. Where _is_ Ansem? You said he's in his lab, right?" She looked specifically at Iri, hoping for a straight answer and not more complaints.

Iri eyed her, but Sora's outbursts seemed to have disturbed her temper. "Yeah. At least, he _should_ be, assuming the Heartless didn't make him move."

Kairi nodded, her expression growing a little a solemn.

"So where's that?" Sora asked.

Iri hesitated, giving Sora a look that was a bit unreadable. "Beneath the castle."

The Keyblade Master nodded, contorting his face in consideration. It looked like he wasn't used to this much thought, and Kairi had to stifle another giggle. Sora didn't seem to notice. "So...how about we all stay close? We should...hey, let's pair up! And if we get split up, we'll just all meet at the castle gates and go in together, okay?"

Iri cocked an eyebrow at him, seemingly surprised that he was coming up with a strategy that she couldn't argue against. "Pair up?" she repeated. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Sora jumped into the space before she could.

"Yeah! So let's see...Kiru shouldn't use magic and Kairi can't. And Iri, you seem really good at it! So...Riku, Kiru, and Kairi can focus on slashing the Heartless, and Iri, Iraki, and me 'll each stick with one of them and focus on magic. Well, I'll smack the Heartless around, too, but I can use cure when we need it! Um...if we need it." He gave a goofy, sheepish smile, a hand behind his head, before growing serious (or relatively so) again. "So then...Kiru with Iraki, Kairi with me, and...I guess that puts Riku with Iri." He paused, giving a bit of a lopsided grin to the two, even as Iri visibly bristled and Riku gave a look of disgust. But the boy continued on unperturbed. "That should balance strengths and weaknesses okay. So let's go!"

"Now wait a minute!" Iri protested, "How does that balance strengths and weaknesses? You don't even know anything about my abilities! You can't just-"

"Well, yeah..." Sora interrupted, still looking sheepish, but apparently unwilling to listen to her protests, "But I thought you were in a hurry, so-"

"She should go with Kiru."

Everyone turned to Iraki in surprise at her very flat interruption.

"Iraki?"

"Iraki, why are you-" Kiru started to protest.

But Iraki shook her head, and he fell silent. "He's still hurt," she explained, her voice soft, anguished. Though Sora might have improved the mood for most of the group, Iraki obviously was still in the same mindset as before. "And I...I can't protect him. But if Iri's strong, then..."

"Much better idea!" Iri declared, ignoring Iraki's obvious hurt as she seized on her suggestion. She immediately started forward. "Come on, Kiru! Let's get moving."

"But-"

Iri stopped his words by taking his arm, though the gesture was more gentle than it seemed it would be, considering her current demeanor. "You're getting to that castle safely," she stated, her voice taking on seriousness and determination that hadn't been there before, "So let's move and get there!"

"Well, I guess that's a pretty good idea after all," Sora conceded, his cheerfulness not abating in the least, though he gave a glance at Riku that seemed to say "next time."

"Then don't be a slow poke," was the only response Riku gave to the teasing, taking Iraki's hand and starting forward as well.

"Yeah, yeah." Sora grinned at Kairi, offering a hand to her, and she couldn't help smiling as she took it, though there was worry in her gaze.

"Be careful."

"Aren't I always?"

Kairi shook her head at the boy who never changed, and off they went to their next battle.

* * *

"You _idiot_, that was a _spell!"_

"There's too many to just cut through them."

It hadn't taken long for the group of Keyblade Masters to get separated in the literal army of Heartless that they had plunged into, but the pairs--or, at least this one--had managed to stay together. But that wasn't to say the battle was going _well_ for them.

Iri's eyes blazed at the silver-haired youth. "That's what _I'm_ for, you nut! Don't you realize a backfire could fry us _both_?" She set off another high-level spell, more to show that she could than to clear their path, seeing as Kiru's low-level fire spell, combined with his attacks, was already doing that.

Kiru gave her hand a squeeze, getting her to turn back toward him. His gaze was determined. "I can do this, Iri. You don't have to worry so much about protecting me!"

Iri scowled, turning away. "So you say." She yanked on his arm to speed him up, and Kiru stumbled, wincing in pain. His right leg still didn't allow him to walk without limping--but Iri had known that when she did it. "Argh, you shouldn't be here!" she growled.

Kiru regained his balance just as a Heartless got a claw on his arm. He shook it off, taking it out with his sword as soon as he had maneuvered himself into the correct position to do so. "None of us should," he replied, his voice almost too soft for her to hear over the sound of their enemies.

Iri let out a shout of frustration, slamming her own sword into the nearest Heartless with all her might, ignoring the fact that it left her momentarily open to attacks from the others. "Just move. Let's just get there and get that crazy geezer scientist free already!"

Kiru couldn't help thinking that freeing Ansem was only their first objective, but he nodded, and the two continued their fight, both sparing occasional looks behind to check for signs of the others, fighting their own battles somewhere back there.

* * *

Kairi couldn't stifle her cry as a Heartless got a hold of her leg, causing her to stumble. 

"Kairi!" Sora held tightly to her hand, pulling her back to her feet beside him as if she and the Heartless combined hardly weighed anything at all. A well-placed fire spell took care of the creature, but she noticed that Sora's eyes lingered on her leg when it was gone, probably evaluating her wound.

"Thank you," she said quickly, "I'm fine."

Sora nodded, turning back ahead of them to the Heartless that were closing in even after that second's worth of distraction. A lightning spell improved the situation, but then to Kairi's surprise, Sora allowed his Keyblade to disappear.

"Sora?"

The boy was too busy reaching into the backpack he'd been given to respond, pulling out a bottle of blue liquid and drinking it down in one gulp before nailing a nearby Heartless in the face with the now-empty bottle. He flashed the girl a grin as his Keyblade returned to his hand.

She smiled back softly, but her eyes narrowed as claws raked across her arm. "Take that!" She struck out as ferociously as she could against her attacker, slashing at it with her sword until it was gone. She turned forward again to find Sora watching her, laughing.

"That's how you do it!" he declared proudly, and Kairi felt her cheeks reddening slightly. But then he turned away, taking out multiple enemies far faster than she had dealt with one, showing a skill that she had never imagined he would come to possess.

The two weren't letting go of each other's hands as they fought, and Kairi knew that the restraint was only limiting him. Sora _was_ fast, but he was agile more than anything, landing kicks and slashes and spells in a flurry of movement without hardly jerking her at all. She couldn't help thinking a bit wistfully that he had changed after all.

"Watch this!" Sora suddenly declared, "Ars Arcanum!"

Kairi's eyes widened as his Keyblade was engulfed in red light, and he struck out before him, destroying the Heartless around them at an amazing rate of speed. The light around the blade brightened as he gave one final swing, turning to her as he finished with his goofy grin on his face. "Pretty cool, huh?"

But then again, she thought with a smile, maybe he hadn't really changed after all. "Amazing!"

It wasn't until the situation came up again that Kairi would realize he had only used the move because the Heartless had been about to overwhelm them.

* * *

"Watch out!" 

Iraki was startled when Riku's blade suddenly came down in front of her, cutting at the shadow that had just been emerging from the ground beneath her feet, preparing to lunge at her for an unanticipated attack.

The girl blushed faintly at her inattentiveness. "Thanks," she mumbled, narrowing her eyes and trying to concentrate on the battle, tightening her fingers around the hilt of the White Keyblade and giving a swing at a Heartless in front of her, if only to show that she really _could_ fight.

"We're a team," Riku replied, and she couldn't help glancing at him at the tone of his voice as he said the last word.

_A team? That sounds more like something Sora would say than you. Is it just to make me feel better?_

"Iraki!" He abruptly grabbed her hand, giving her a jerk that just barely moved her body away from the claws of another shadow.

Iraki felt her face heating up again as she struggled to concentrate. "Sorry!" She _hated_ fighting. She always had, and she probably always would. She couldn't possibly ever get any _good_ at it. "I...sorry..." More slashing, knocking a few shadows back but doing little else. Iraki couldn't help but wonder if, had Kairi seen this situation coming, she would have kept the White Keyblade and left Iraki with the sword. It certainly would have made fighting easier if she had a blade that could really cut.

But Iraki tried to chase that selfish thought away. She'd received far more training in how to fight than Kairi ever had, so it was better that the other girl had the more effective weapon. Not to mention, it wasn't like Riku was exactly giving the enemies any opportunity to hurt her...

The other Keyblade Master was incredible to behold as he fought, his movements smooth and quick, like a dancer's, or perhaps more like a swimmer, driving strong arms through a sea of black and riding the waves even as they tried to impede him. Despite all her distraction and lack of ability, she had hardly gotten a scratch. Riku had let her hand go almost immediately after the group had split up, but somehow, with his ability to _move_ among the dark creatures and appear before her any time she seemed the slightest bit like she needed it, she felt even closer to him than she had before.

It made her wonder how he could dance like that when darkness was pressing in on him from all sides. It was almost like he felt at home like this. But no, she told herself, that was wrong. Riku had escaped from the darkness, at last, and no matter how much it went after him and tried to win him back, he would never return to it. The dance that she was seeing now was not a dance with the darkness as a partner. It was a dance of destruction.

Iraki herself continued to struggle in her own clumsy, inept way to make some sort of difference in the battle, but all her efforts were of little avail. She hated feeling like she was some treasure Riku was guarding and not a fighter herself, but she couldn't deny that she was hindered by all the training she hadn't had--and that all the training she _had_ been through did little to cover up her lack of natural talent.

In fact, she was so absorbed in watching the black creatures around her and taking any swing at them that she could find an opening for that she didn't even notice where she and Riku had gotten to until he, who had not touched her in all this time, suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. His voice was barely audible over the Heartless that still clawed at them. "We're here."

Her eyes widened, and she turned in front of her in surprise to find that they were already just short of the castle entryway. Gathered before them were four other familiar figures, showing varying amounts of wear and tear but still fighting valiantly with the Heartless just within the castle. The sight of the continuing battle tempered her relief.

Iraki certainly would have felt better about the situation if she had noticed that the Heartless outside the threshold were not going in and that the Heartless inside were not half as many as those crowding the front walkway. But as things stood, her eyes went right to one particular member of the other four, scanning him up and down for injuries. It was only when she realized that Iri had taken as good care of him as Riku had of her that her heart sighed in relief--but also sadness.

Sora's cheerful voice cut through her thoughts, pulling her back to reality. "Come on!" he exclaimed, his expression exhilarated and excited in a way that Iraki could not understand.

"Tch." Riku rolled his eyes, looking amused. "Just because we all got this far doesn't mean you should let it go to your head."

Sora grinned in response. Then he jumped and gave a full-force kick, using both legs, to a Defender that had its back to him while attacking Kairi. It fell forward, and he finished it off with the Keyblade in one smooth move. Riku snorted, but the brown-haired boy was unperturbed. "It's not like we can rest here!"

"He's right," Iri agreed, fending off a Heartless of her own, "The faster we get to that lab, the better." She glanced at Sora as she spoke, and it was only then that Iraki noticed the boy was out of breath.

"Yeah, yeah. So come on!" he repeated, wiping sweat out of his eyes as casually as if he were sparring among friends, "You've gotta lead, you know!"

"I'm already on it! Thundaga!"

Sora whistled as the spell effectively cleared a path through most of the castle's front room. Iri scowled, heading forward without another word.

This could perhaps have been construed as a mistake, as Sora decided to fill in her silence. "Off to Ansem's lab we go!" he half-sang with no key to speak of.

"Sora!" Kairi burst out in giggles.

"Have you not noticed that we're _fighting_ here?" Iri cried, spinning around to give the boy a glare.

"Then you shouldn't be looking backwards?" Sora offered, grinning brightly.

Iri scowled, and Kiru laughed. Even Riku let out a bit of a chuckle.

A faint smile flitted across Iraki's lips, making the pain in her heart dim just a bit. If everyone could smile and laugh at a time like this, it meant things weren't bad, right? It meant that they could make it.

But there was no more time for such thoughts. The laughter was quickly replaced by serious expressions as the six Keyblade Masters made their way into the castle, toward the lab hidden far below.


	51. The Journal

Hello to all from the U.S.! I am finally back home and ready with another update. I have also finally gotten to play KHII! I wrote this chapter before I got the game, but I just wanted to say, for certain now, that this fic is going to remain AU. So anyone who hasn't played has no need to worry about KHII spoilers!

This chapter is dedicated to the amazingly wonderful Ginger Ninja. I wrote the rough draft of most of it while I was visiting her in England, and I can honestly say that it was the most I've written in this fic in the shortest amount of time in _ages_. Thank you so _so_ much, Gin, for the amazing time in England and all your inspiration!

Also, special thanks to the fabulous Ariana Aislinn and Akai Kitsune for their beta help with this chapter! I don't know what I'd do without you.

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 51: The Journal**

"About time you guys made it!"

"Yuffie!" Sora exclaimed, skidding to a stop, the others right behind him.

"Hey, kid," Yuffie greeted. She stood just down the hall from them, currently in the process of throwing a shuriken at a Heartless that had decided to impede her view of the teen. "What kept ya?"

"Where's Ansem?" Iraki broke in immediately, her voice full of worry. "Is he okay?"

"He's safely blocked in his lab, waiting for you all." Yuffie pointed behind her, kicking at a Heartless as she did so. "Keep going a bit farther, and then just knock on the entrance. They'll let you in."

"All right, let's move then!" While the others were still stopped to talk to the ninja, Iri ran right on past, calling on a lightning spell to part the Heartless as she went.

"Whoa, hey wait!" Sora called after her, "Yuffie-"

"You aren't worrying about me, are you, Sora?" Yuffie grinned, pulling out another shuriken and giving the group a wink. "I'll keep them distracted. You go on and get to the lab."

"But-" Kairi began to protest.

Sora gave her arm a tug, however, grinning back at the ninja. "Got it! Be careful."

Yuffie laughed. "No one can get the better of the Great Ninja Yuffie! Now go!"

The boy nodded, taking off and leaving Kairi no choice but to go with him. Riku, Iraki, and Kiru all followed, although everyone but Riku looked back at the smiling girl in concern.

Just down the hall, however, they were surprised to hear an unexpected sound mixed in with the scratching of the Heartless.

"POWER!"

"Leon!" Sora cheered even before the man became visible through the sea of black.

"I've got this," Leon called, "Keep going!"

"Got it!" Sora jumped, playing dominos with the Heartless in front of him. "Hey, did a dark-haired girl-"

"She's already headed there. If you don't hurry up, she'll beat you."

"Aw man, beaten by a girl! That would ruin my reputation. Thanks, Leon!" Sora called, losing sight of the man in the Heartless behind him.

"Sora, what are you-" Kairi began to ask, but he silenced her with a grin.

"I'm being the hero!" he declared, "Iri cheated and ran on ahead. If she saves Ansem before I even get there, how am I ever gonna live that down?"

"Sora, you are such a goof," Riku called from behind them before Kairi had a chance to reply, "You won't catch her if you keep stopping to talk!"

Sora turned to glance at his friend, even as an ice spell that he had just fired took out a Heartless in front of them. "Oh yeah? I bet I'll get there faster than you will!"

Riku smirked. "You're on!"

"Then I'd suggest you quit all the talking."

The Keyblade Masters all turned toward the sound of the voice, just in time to catch sight of a blond man jumping above the sea of Heartless, coming down with an enormous, bandaged sword before him in an aerial attack that created a large hole in the Heartless that had been blocking their path.

"Cloud!" Sora declared, grinning, "Looks like the whole group's here, huh? Where's Aerith?"

"She'll get you inside," Cloud replied, "So go! We can't keep the Heartless from chasing you for long."

"Bah, you're just worried about her being all alone."

Riku darted past Sora as he spoke, cutting savagely into the Heartless before them. "Come on, Sora! You're falling behind."

"Hey!" Sora protested, "No fair!"

"You're the one who decided to stop."

"Hmph." The boy glanced at Kairi. "Guess I should probably hurry, huh?"

Kairi smiled back at him. "I'm ready."

"All right, here we go. We're coming after you, Riku! And you, Iri!"

"And Ansem..." Iraki whispered from her place behind them, helping Kiru along as best as she could. "Kiru, they're getting ahead. Should I ask them to..."

The young man shook his head. "The others are holding back as many Heartless as they can. We'll catch up with Sora and Kairi soon. And I have a feeling there's something there...something that they need to see as soon as they can."

Iraki frowned at his words, but she nodded. "We'll all be there soon."

Kiru forced a smile that did little to conceal his worry. "Finally. We can get some answers..."

"What do you think he knows?"

His expression grew grim. "There were less Heartless in the front of the castle than there are here. There's a reason they're after Ansem."

"But, since Aros..." Iraki cringed, lowering her gaze and letting her words trail off, ignoring Kiru's questioning look. "There must be a reason they're still working together..."

"Don't let your guard down!"

Iraki gasped in surprise as the blond soldier was suddenly beside her, his sword slicing neatly through a Heartless that had been about to jump on her. And then Kiru was off her shoulder, and she turned to find that Sora had grabbed him by the arm, pulling it around his own shoulders.

"Sorry!" the grinning boy apologized, holding Kiru's arm with his as he waited for the other to get his balance before starting to move again. "I guess now is no time for racing, huh? Hey Riku, no fair holding this one against me!" he called forward.

Up ahead, mostly obscured by the sea of black, Riku sliced through another Heartless, Kairi close beside him. "Just get back here! This isn't the time to stop."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it!" Sora widened his grin for the two before letting go of Kiru's arm, leaving the young man to hold onto Sora's shoulders himself. The brown-haired Keyblade Master then turned around, focusing on clearing a path. "And what was that about answers?" he asked, glancing at the young man clinging to his back. "I thought we were just saving him, but answers would be awesome, too. So let's hurry up! Um...as much as you can, Kiru."

Kiru winced, though whether it was from his struggle to move or from his discomfort at the idea of holding Sora back, it was hard to tell. "Don't slow down on my account. And make sure Iraki-"

"Just run the last leg already, would ya?" interrupted a familiar voice from just down the hall.

Riku scowled as those behind him squinted into the Heartless ahead. "Did you finally decide to meet back up with your allies?"

Iri scowled back from just in front of him. "You idiot! If Leon and everyone were so focused on clearing a path to get us here, I figured the enemies were going to be _all over_ the door and Aerith. And didn't you notice that Kiru can't move very fast? Tch. What good would it do Ansem if we got to him and the Heartless were already in his lab?"

"So you ran ahead to guard the door!" Sora called from where he and Kiru were still fighting their way toward them, "That was pretty nice of you, Iri. Still pretty reckless, though. Well, not like I can talk!" He cast a thunder spell, clearing out the Heartless in front of him so that he could just see Riku--and beyond him, between the black, glimpses of both Iri and a woman in pink. "Hey, Aerith, we're almost there. Think you could get the door for us?"

The woman gave a smile that he couldn't see, raising her staff. "I'll have to shut it behind you, though."

"And then you guys get out of here," Sora called, "We'll figure things out from there."

Aerith kept smiling, her tone serene. "We'll make sure you have a way out. Please don't worry about us. Just do what you need to. Ansem's been waiting."

Riku frowned, raising an eyebrow as he reached the woman. All the effort Leon's gang was putting in to get them to Ansem was making him nervous about what they were going to find there.

But Aerith simply turned away from him and raised her staff. "Cure!"

There was a tinkle of bells, and a wash of green magic hit what appeared to be simply some of the stones of the wall. To the surprise of Heartless and Keyblade Masters both, however, rumbling suddenly filled the area. Mickey's and Ansem's illusion fell away, revealing the door to the lab even as it opened, allowing Iri, Riku, and Kairi to dart inside.

Sora whistled even as he fired a lightning spell at the Heartless between him and the opening. "Unlocking a door with cure. That's a new one."

"Would you just hurry up and get in here?" Iri cried, sticking her head out the door and firing a lightning spell of her own at the enemies.

"We're almost there!" came Iraki's answer, her tone determined as she took Kiru's other arm, supporting him between herself and Sora now to speed them up.

Sora grinned. "But you can keep up the light show if you want!"

Iri scowled but fired another spell, stepping back outside the door to help keep the Heartless out while they waited for the three.

The others, meanwhile, had their attention completely focused on the laboratory itself--and its two occupants. Ansem was smiling brightly, looking for all the world as if he were happily working in his lab on any normal afternoon and had just been greeted by some unexpected friends. Mickey, on the other hand, took one look at the group and then hurried across the room, over to one of the many strange machines. He returned a moment later, holding a sword in both of his gloved hands.

Riku raised an eyebrow at the sight of the weapon. Wasn't that the same sword that Kiru used? "But that's Kiru's-"

"It's better if he has the real one," Mickey stated. At the confused looks from the Keyblade Masters, the king explained, "What Kiru is wielding is just a...projection of this sword. It's been hooked up to Ansem's machine the whole time. But now he can really carry it."

He glanced at Ansem, who had turned to rummage through some shelves against the wall, soon emerging with a sheath that the man handed to the mouse king. Ansem looked at the sword in worry, however, as Mickey sheathed it. "I hope he wasn't using that right now... Sora and Iraki were doing the fighting, right? Oh, I hope so..."

"Ansem." The scientist blinked at the interruption of his thoughts. "Don't worry about that," Mickey stated, "And look, these three have made it, so..." He hesitated, his gaze growing intense. "What now?"

Ansem's eyes widened, apparently startled by whatever it was that the mouse was implying. "Not yet," he murmured, looking past the two Keyblade Masters to the Heartless outside, fighting to get in but held up by Iri's and Aerith's efforts. "Not yet...I need all six..." He turned away from the door, hurrying over to a desk loaded with a mess of papers and frantically beginning to paw through them. "All six at last..."

There was silence for a moment, aside from the scientist's rummaging. The mouse was eyeing his companion, looking a little disturbed by his behavior, and the Keyblade Masters were watching them both in a mixture of worry and confusion.

"Ansem?" Mickey ventured at last, stepping up behind the man.

"All six!" Ansem repeated, "At last, Mickey! I can finally share it..." He turned around, his hands clasped gently over several sheets of brown, crinkled paper. His whole face was beaming with his excitement.

Mickey sighed, shaking his head at the other. "You know they didn't come here for that. Are you _sure_ this is the place for it?"

Ansem frowned, seeming to pout as much as a grown man could. "It's a safer place than their next destination. And they need this information!"

The mouse seemed to consider his words for a moment, watching the door as Sora, Iraki, and Kiru finally entered the room. On the outside, Aerith could be heard casting another cure spell, and the entrance slid shut as Iri took care of the few Heartless who threatened to make it to their side. "All right," Mickey finally conceded, "Just...don't take any longer than you need to."

"Of course," Ansem promised, "They'll just need a minute to read...well, probably...a few minutes..." He winced.

"Ansem?" Iraki interrupted, a bit timidly, from her place in the doorway, "Are you okay?"

"Wonderful!" the scientist responded--a bit too quickly, "You're all in good shape, and you've finally made it! This is the best I could have hoped for. How wonderful to see you all! And..." He paused then, his eyes settling on one particular figure and lighting up for real. "Oh my... even Kiru!" His excitement was short-lived, however, as he noticed the scars that the young man now carried. "But...what happened?"

Kiru, who had been smiling at Ansem's enthusiasm, now gave a startled look, lowering his gaze with the same shame he had shown when the others had first seen him.

Ansem cringed and quickly added, "But you're alive! That's wonderful! I was so hoping that-"

Kiru still wasn't looking at him. Iri twitched, interrupting loudly with, "Yeah, we're happy to see you in one piece, too, you tricky geezer." Kiru gave her a grateful glance, but she ignored it, plowing on instead. "So what's this about information for us? We didn't come to your lab to get ourselves trapped in here, too, you know."

"If you could make it down here, you'll be able to make it out," Mickey said, stepping forward to offer the sword to Kiru. The Keyblade Master blinked up at him in surprise, but that changed to relief when he realized what the sheath held. After all, his sword his had disappeared into thin air the moment Mickey had extracted the real one from the machine, and even though he hadn't been using it at the time, that had been worrisome. "Don't be in too much of a hurry," the mouse continued, "We've had a lot of time to think down here, and it looks like there's only one way for your journey to continue."

"And who made you the master of our journey, mouse?" Iri demanded, eyeing the diminutive king, "Ansem, what in the world is he-"

Ansem held up a hand, which, surprisingly, cut her off. The fact that his usually-smiling face looked a bit grim may have helped. "Aros is gone," he stated, his eyes a bit sad. Iraki gave a choked gasp at the words. "And the three White Keyblade Masters have been gathered. You have to agree that this is a perfect opportunity...correct?"

"But what do you mean Aros is gone?" Sora broke in, "I mean, I know he...well..._something_ happened, but...the Heartless still seem kinda organized, don't you think? If Aros were really...not _anywhere_, wouldn't they be acting different? I mean, they'd be after the Keyhole and the Keyblade Masters, not _you_, right?"

"And how did you know anything happened to Aros?" Riku added suspiciously.

Ansem winced, giving an almost-frightened glance at Mickey, who just looked at the others grimly. "We have quite a few abilities," the mouse said by way of explanation, "Especially in this lab. But Sora _is_ right--there's still something out there. But it's not Aros."

Riku gasped, forgetting his suspicion as his eyes widened. "You mean...when Aros was lost, Ansem-"

"_Ansem_?" cried the other Keyblade Masters in shock.

"Whoa, hold up!" Sora said, "Ansem's dead, Riku. You know that."

Riku frowned, shaking his head. "No, he's not. I don't know how it happened, but when I fought Aros, I...I _felt_ it. Ansem is still alive--and he was _inside_ him."

"So that's...why Aros changed...?" Iraki breathed, eyes locked on Riku, "How long has Ansem-"

"Years," the blond-haired Ansem interrupted, his gaze pained, "I did not want you all to know, but...yes, Riku is right. I'm not sure what has happened to Aros himself, but Ansem the seeker of darkness _was_ inside him, and he's still out there, even now. But even so, when Aros was...injured..."--he gave Iraki a bit of a nervous glance--"...everything changed. The Heartless are still organized, but not nearly as well as they were before. And...I don't know how you could find Ansem. Mickey and I have given this a lot of thought, and we think that the best course of action right now is not to focus on your enemies, but instead to focus on the goal that will take care of every single one of our problems."

"The Final Keyhole?" Kairi ventured.

Ansem smiled, though the expression was tinged with something unreadable. "And opening the door to the light."

Sora sucked in a breath at that. "Wow. You think we can do it before Ansem regroups? I guess we're pretty close, huh?" He grinned. "That's cool!"

Ansem's expression, however, crumbled at those words. He lowered his head, looking down at the floor and allowing his flowing blond hair to obscure his face. "But you do not know how to open it."

"That's okay!" Sora immediately declared, "We're Keyblade Masters. Our hearts know how."

"Yes..." the scientist agreed, "I'm sure they do, but..." And, to everyone's surprise, he let out what sounded like a sob.

"Ansem?" Iraki ventured, "What's wrong?"

Ansem shook his head at that, actually _sniffling_. "No, no, don't ask, Iraki. None of you ask! Nothing's wrong...it's how the universe was built. It just...wasn't meant to be like this..."

"You're not making _any_ sense," Iri said, a bit testily, though she was looking at the man with concern, "If something's wrong, just tell us! You know I hate it when you're cryptic all the time..." Her voice faltered a bit at the end as the man sobbed again.

The mouse king intervened then, stepping between the Keyblade Masters and the scientist and setting a hand on the man's arm. "Ansem, now isn't the time," he said firmly, "We talked about this, remember? It's what has to be done."

"I know..." the scientist murmured tearfully, "We're so close, but..."

"Ansem," Mickey repeated, firmly but not without kindness, "You don't have to _say_ it. But they need to see."

The two locked eyes for a moment as the Keyblade Masters waited in varying states of concern and nervousness. Finally, the scientist nodded, taking a step away from the mouse and holding out the papers he was carrying so carefully in his hands, offering them to Sora. "I'm sorry," he stated, "But...if you would read this. It is from the journal of a girl named Marianna, and...it will tell you how to open the door to the light."

The boy blinked as he took the pages, wondering why Ansem had given them to him, of all people, but more concerned about their contents than anything. What in the world could be in here that would make the man _cry_? "Um...okay...thanks!"

The scientist sniffed, wiping at his eyes with his now-free hands. "Do not thank me," he murmured, "I am sorry..."

"Ansem, sit down for a minute," Mickey instructed pointedly, "Sora, you're going to want to read that aloud to everyone. But Ansem, don't listen, okay? Let's have another strategy meeting, in the corner. Come on." He took the scientist's arm again, pulling him away from the group. "Take whatever time you need," he murmured to Sora as he passed, but that was all he said to the Keyblade Masters, his attention then focusing back onto the blubbering scientist as he tried to get him calm and away.

All the Keyblade Masters watched the two for a moment, but then Sora shrugged, his eyes a bit troubled, but a laid-back smile on his face. "Guess I should start reading. Wonder what this is..." He held up the pages, squinting at them, "Wow, this handwriting's pretty bad."

"Handwritten?" Riku asked, peering over his shoulder, "Heh. Not half as bad as _yours_. Can't you read it?"

"I didn't say I couldn't read it!" Sora protested, "I just said the handwriting was bad. It's all...tiny." He screwed up his face. "Uh...should I just start?"

"Yes!" came a chorus of responses.

"Heh, guess that answers that." Sora scratched the back of his head with one hand, studying the papers before him. "It really does look like somebody's journal. Wonder what a girl's diary has to do with the door to the light?"

"Maybe if you'd start reading you'd find out?"

"Riku, I _am_ reading! Just give me a second." The boy glanced again at the two in the corner to find that Ansem was giving him a glance right back, the man's eyes still misty. The boy frowned, beginning to read in a nonchalant manner, despite the sinking feeling in his chest.

_Today was the last day of our journey._

_I still cannot believe that was the end. This is not the joyful homecoming that we were expecting. In fact, for me, neither is it home nor is it the least bit joyful. We may have done what the universe needed us to do, but people would shun us if they knew that we were the ones responsible for cutting off all travel between the worlds._

_But I am not writing this entry to talk about now. I need to explain what happened--with all of the details. The five of us honestly meant to do more than just seal the mirror. We were going to open the door to the light. But we did not, and I want to tell the world why. I am such a coward that I can only say it like this, so that no one will know until after I am gone. Please forgive me for that._

_After losing Rennat, we were all completely crushed. It was like Tanner was only half of himself, and Annai was completely devastated. I could tell that she wanted comfort from Tanner, but she tried to bear her grief alone. I believe she feared that I would be jealous. I clung to Tanner, too, at that time. But the loss of Rennat did not affect Idare or myself the way it did Tanner and Annai._

_Regardless of our own feelings, his loss changed much more than just our dispositions. The door to the light is sealed by four locks, each with two halves. All four Keyblades are needed, one for each lock. And each Keyblade Master is only meant to put in enough power to seal half of the lock. All eight Keyblade Masters are supposed to work together to open the door._

_We were told that it is still possible to open the door, even with as few as four Keyblade Masters. All that is "required" is to have one Keyblade Master for each Keyblade and, of course, the Keyblades themselves. But the effect of having one Keyblade Master use the energy that is meant to be used by two together... Not even Anthem knows for sure what would happen. All he could tell us was that he suspects the Keyblade Master would not survive. So if we had decided to open the door to the light, we would have been condemning Tanner to the same fate as Rennat._

_We all discussed our final decision together. I decided from the beginning that I was not going to let Tanner die. I did not think I could live if I lost him, and I was selfish. I saw what the loss of Rennat did to Annai, and it frightened me. But I did not tell any of them my real reason for wanting to give up on the door to the light. Instead, I reminded them of how dangerous it was for the mirror to remain open. Every moment that passed was causing more disturbances between its two sides, slowly destroying the universe's balance. In order to open the door to the light, we would have had to find at least one Black Keyblade Master. But none of us would have wanted to open the door with just that one person; that would mean that the Black Keyblade Master, Tanner, and Idare would all die! We would have had to find the other Black Keyblade Master and the other Silver Keyblade Master, as well. Just think of how long that would have taken! The mirror may have been kept open for years._

_So that was our reason--my own claim that it was too dangerous to leave the mirror unsealed for long enough to find the Keyblade Masters we needed. I reassured the others that, perhaps someday in the future, at a time when all eight Keyblade Masters were living, and perhaps even living on just a few worlds so they could easily find each other, the door to the light could be opened. But it was not for us to do. The mirror needed to be sealed, and we had the three necessary Keyblade Masters to do so. And so Annai and I took our White Keyblade, Tanner his Golden, and Idare his Silver, and we locked it._

_I wonder if any of the others agreed because they were worried about Tanner's life. But I won't question their motives now. I was the one who made the final decision. It was my fault and because of my selfishness._

_This is the last entry in this journal. I believe I will keep it separate from the rest. I want this entry to survive. I want the world to know why we failed to open the door to the light. I want the world to know of my cowardice._

_Someday the mirror will have to be unsealed again. Eight Keyblade Masters will have to be gathered. Or maybe eight will not be, and Keyblade Masters will die. I only want the world to know that I am truly sorry. I put the one I love before the good of the universe. I can shout until my throat is dry that the universe was wrong to give this task to me, but it does not change that I am the one who has failed it. And as much as I regret it, it is too late to go back. The mirror is sealed. With Idare and his Silver Keyblade on the other side of the universe, it cannot be opened again._

_But I also must admit that, even if I had the chance to make the decision again, I would do the same thing. So I apologize to the universe. I apologize to those in the future who will have to suffer for my selfishness. I apologize especially to any Keyblade Masters who are braver than I am and may someday die to do what I could not. But that is who I am, and it is something I shall have to live with for the rest of my life. All that is left for me is to say that, from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry.  
_

"And...that's it..."

After the boy stopped reading, there was a moment of complete silence as the words sunk in for each member of the group. The journal had given them the information they needed, but now all of Ansem's worry and tears made sense. Not one of the six had expected to hear words like Marianna's.

"She said...two people for each lock..." Kiru breathed, breaking the silence.

"Two...for each Keyblade," Kairi added, her voice catching.

By now, everyone was thinking the same thing. If Aros was really gone, then both the Black and Silver Keyblades would have to be used by...

One by one, everyone turned their gazes to Sora. Iraki's eyes began to overflow, and she let out a sob.

"That can't be true," Riku stated, clenching a fist, his face reddening in anger, "If the door to the darkness can be opened by just one person, why would you need _eight_..."

"Sora?" Iraki choked through her tears, "Maybe we don't have to...maybe we could find another way..."

The brown-haired boy did not respond at first, however. He had finished the entry without letting his voice slip, though his eyes had grown progressively more wide as he continued. And now he was just standing, the sheets of parchment lowered--gripped a bit more tightly than was probably prudent--with his head turned away from his companions and the blankest expression on his face.

"Sora?" Kairi asked, reaching out to take his hand in hers.

Sora grasped her hand back, giving it a squeeze and finally turning to them all. His solemn expression remained for just a moment, but then his goofy grin broke out on his face. "What do you mean, find another way?" he asked, though his voice shook just a bit with the words, "We just found out how to do this one, so let's go for it!"

Everyone continued to stare at him, pained expressions flashing across Riku's and Kairi's faces as tears slid down Iraki's cheeks.

Iri, on the other hand, began to redden. "Do you have any idea what that just said?" she demanded, "You idiot! Use your head! If we try to open the door to the light, _you're going to die!_ Do you _want_ that?"

"Of course not!" Sora countered, his voice growing progressively more steady. His face was now covered by that smile that was so familiar, and yet at this moment somehow not, undermined by something in his expression that none of them had ever seen before. "But you gotta remember what it said. This girl said they didn't do it, so she doesn't really know what's going to happen, you know? So how does that make things any more dangerous than they were before? We haven't come all this way for nothing! And," he added, as Iri opened her mouth to protest, "I'm sure everything's gonna work out just fine in the end. My heart says so."

"You _idiot_!" Iri burst out.

Sora just kept smiling, "Yeah. So...ready to go?"

It was Riku who gave the response this time. "No point in waiting around here."

"Yeah!" Sora cheered. Then he glanced at the girl beside him, his face showing just the slightest bit of uncertainty. "Kairi?"

She didn't respond right away, her own face a mask. But then she turned toward the boy, and he could see that her eyes were glistening faintly as she said in the lightest tone she could manage, "You're not going to forget your promise, right? You wouldn't run away and leave me again?"

"Are you kidding?" Sora replied immediately, "We both know that we'll always be together. We all will, because we're friends!" He looked around at the group, his face seemingly filled with the same excitement and determination as ever. "Kiru...Iraki...Iri...? You guys ready, too?"

"I want to argue..." Kiru stated, not making eye contact and instead staring off to the side, as if in thought, "I want to argue, but..." He turned to look at the boy then, blue eyes filled with a grim seriousness as he finished softly, "But I understand."

Sora's face softened at that, the boy nodding. "Thanks," he said, the word holding all the gravity of the situation for once, before his expression grew light again. "So...?"

"So I think you're an idiot!" Iri cried, crossing her arms over her chest, "And I hate working with idiots! So let's just get on with this already."

"Yeah!" Sora pumped a fist, as if he had won a victory. Then he locked his eyes on the last member of their party. "Iraki? What about you? Are you ready to keep moving?"

The girl just stared at him with her tear-stained eyes, sniffling faintly. "I..." But she turned away without another word, burying her face in her hands.

"Iraki..."

Sora stepped over to the girl, and Kiru began to hold a hand out to her, but it was Riku who made it there first, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Sora's right, you know," he murmured as he drew her to him, heedless of those who were around them, "No matter what that journal said, we don't really know how this will end."

"But..." Iraki sobbed, burying her head against his chest, "But that Keyblade Master...she knew what she was talking about! So what if...what if..."

"So what do you think's gonna happen if we _don't_ go, huh?" Iri interrupted, her voice cold, "Let go of her, Riku! She's obviously not even thinking. We should just leave her here if she's going to be like that."

"Iri-!" Kiru started in alarm.

He stopped as Iraki moved, however, pulling herself gently away from Riku. "I didn't say I was quitting," she protested softly, "I won't quit! I just...if maybe there's another..." But she trailed off, sighing in response to the harsh look from her opposite. "B-but..." She swallowed, glancing around at all the members of the group, her eyes settling last on Sora. "But we won't find out anything if we don't keep going, so...so all of you are right." She winced. "We should go..."

More tears tracked down her cheeks, but Sora jumped on her words before she could add anything to them. "Great, we're all decided! All right, hey Ansem! Mickey!" He waved the papers at the two as they rejoined the group immediately, obviously having been listening to the Keyblade Masters. Before either could say anything, however, the young man stated, "We're going to the Final Keyhole. How are we getting there?"

His words left no room for protests, so no one made any. Ansem simply accepted the journal entry back from him in silence, expression grim, and the group continued the plans for their journey as if nothing had changed.

But as it was with all things that seemed unchanged on the surface, something was stirring deep within every person in that room--the same question that they all tried to bury but couldn't.

_Why? Why does it have to be this way?_

But Heartless could be heard scratching on the door to the lab, Ansem the seeker of darkness was still out there somewhere, and they knew there was no reason to look for pointless answers when it was reality itself that was tearing them apart. So they all continued on as if nothing had changed at all because it was the only way to face their new situation.

Their journey was almost over, and regardless of what the end would bring, none of them would turn back now.


	52. The Final Keyhole

Special thanks to Akai Kitsune and Ginger Ninja for their very fast beta help with this chapter! I hope it's enjoyed.

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 52: The Final Keyhole**

With the aid of Leon and his friends, the six Keyblade Masters were able to make it all the way to the Grand Foyer with only minimal injuries. Unfortunately, their advance was stopped just short of the room itself as they abruptly found themselves faced with a literal _wall_ of Heartless. The wave of black blocked the entrance completely. They could barely even make out the doors beyond all the writhing bodies.

"Everyone stop for a minute," Riku instructed, putting a hand out to make sure all the others halted behind him. "We'll charge together, all right? On three."

"Hey, they're heeeeere!"

Even Riku faltered when they heard the overly-cheerful voice. With no further warning, the doors to the Grand Foyer burst open, and the black was suddenly marred with flashes of color as four allies within the room began attacking the Heartless blocking the doorway.

Sora was the first to recover from his shock enough to speak. "...Rikku? Auron! Tidus, Yuna! What are you all _doing_ here?"

"In Crossroads City...you all..." Iraki breathed.

"What was that?" Rikku called to them as she punched at a Heartless in front of her, trying to see the Keyblade wielders through the black. "You think losing the world would have taken _us_ out?"

"Yeah, don't count us out already!" Tidus added, "We..."

He trailed off, distracted by a powerful white flare of magic that blew a hole right through the center of the crowd of enemies. The new space left a smiling Yuna standing in its wake. "You all still have a long way to go. Don't worry about us, and hurry through!"

"Roger!" Sora exclaimed, immediately taking off while there was an opening.

As the six entered the room, they were met with a familiar _popping _sound and the appearance of even more enemies--in front of them now, as if the opening of the doors had given the Heartless clearance to take over the inside of the room as well. The Keyblade Masters had hardly begun attacking, however, when a figure forced his way through the Heartless gathering behind the group, coming from the door to stand beside them with his sword held high.

"Don't waste your energy here." Auron looked a little smug as he barked the order. "This is how it's done." And he drew his sword back, winds suddenly picking up around him. He spun once, then slashed with his sword, sending the swirl of air out in front of him. It came together in a tornado, grabbing all the Heartless in its path and sweeping them up within it. Once they were all in its confines, the man reached down to the jug at his side, unfastening it and chucking it right into the center of the tornado. It exploded in a storm of flames, bursting out and forcing them all to cover their eyes. The fire only lasted for a moment, however, before fading away to reveal the extent of its destruction.

Sora whistled. "All right!" he cheered, though his excitement was a little tight with worry he couldn't quite hide. This battle wasn't over yet. "Off we go!"

Auron smirked as the man immediately turned to deal with the enemies coming up behind them.

The Keyblade Masters stayed in a tight group from there, fighting as a team against any Heartless that popped into existence as they crossed the Grand Foyer. The sound of their allies still beating back the Heartless behind them was encouraging. With the others keeping the Heartless in the doorway at bay and the Keyblade Masters combining their powers against those that came at them from the front, the six found themselves making it slowly across the incredibly large room. However, the forces of Heartless never seemed to end, and it didn't take long before exhaustion began to set in.

"Can you see the Keyhole yet?" Iri called to Riku, who was at the head of the group.

"Are you kidding?"

"But we're getting there!" Sora declared optimistically, "Just keep-"

He was interrupted by a shout as a member of their group took the first real hit of the battle. Four overzealous shadows all jumped at Kiru at the same time. The attack itself did little damage as Kiru was able to bring up his sword and block two of the creatures completely, but his balance was too shaky to handle the extra weight, and he found himself knocked clear off his feet by the onslaught.

"Kiru!" Iraki cried, beginning to swing at the enemies with more resolve than anyone had seen from her since she had been protecting him on their way into Ansem's lab. She moved so that she was standing in front of him, trying to block him from as many Heartless as she could in the hopes that he would be able to stand back up.

The others were also quick to react. Sora let go of Kairi's hand and began to fire spells at the Heartless, generally jumping around in a flashy fashion in an obvious attempt to draw away their attention. Kairi started trying to fight her way toward Kiru, but at the sight of Sora's success in drawing enemies to him, she changed her mind and tried to join him instead.

When Riku and Iri caught sight of the situation that Kiru and Iraki were in, however, they knew they needed to double-back toward them. Iraki had enough trouble defending herself under normal circumstances, and trying to fight for herself and Kiru was clearly taking more energy out of her than what she had left. Kiru wasn't completely down for the count, either, but the Heartless were making it difficult for him to find an opening to struggle back to his feet. His swings were stilted by his awkward angle on the ground, and he didn't dare fire a spell with Iraki standing that close to him.

Despite everyone's efforts, the situation was deteriorating very quickly. Separated now, all the Keyblade Masters began taking hits. Sora was sent sprawling to the ground from a jump that didn't end quite as he had planned it. Kairi covered him so he could hop back to his feet, but she was slashed across one arm for it. Iraki who took the worst of it, though, getting scratched up and down both sides as she used her own body to keep the Heartless away from Kiru.

"We've got to get to them!" Riku cried, desperately fighting his way through the crowd with Iri at his side.

The young woman nodded in understanding, not arguing for once. "Here," was all she said, shooting him a look before she turned back to the Heartless that blocked their way. "Firaga!"

The spell burned right through the Heartless that were directly in front of them, and Iri immediately repeated the attack. And again. She gave the young man another glance.

Riku couldn't miss her hint. He ran right into the opening that she was creating, ignoring the fact that the last tendrils of her next spell scorched his own back right along with the Heartless. If they couldn't both get to Kiru and Iraki fast enough, then just one of them would have to do it. They'd all regroup as soon as they could, but they couldn't afford to lose anyone! Especially not now, when they knew what any losses would mean.

_But there has to be something we can do. Even if I get to the two of them, what about the other three? How are we going to be able to get our group back together? We're not going to make it to the Keyhole if we're not all fighting as a team!_

"Kiru!"

Riku was jerked from his thoughts by Iraki's cry. Through the black, the silver-haired youth couldn't quite see what was happening to his parallel, but he did hear a groan, and Iraki's frantic tone made his heart grow cold.

_Faster! There has to be a way..._

"Kiru!" he heard himself cry as he tore into more of the Heartless in front of him. Iraki let out a shriek. Iri yelled something from behind him. Sora was taunting the enemies somewhere in the distance, but even his tone had a catch to it that actually made Riku fear, just a little, about how this was all going to turn out. And what about their other allies? Where had they lost them?

_Some way... There has to be..._

All of a sudden, Riku felt something welling up from inside of him, something _warm_, that bubbled up and grew until it was overflowing.

_Of course...I have the energy now. I can use it!_

The warmth grew even more, and he poured that energy into the Keyblade in his hand, causing it to heat up with the force of it.

_We aren't losing anyone here!_

The flash of light that appeared then was so bright, so large, and so unexpected that it stopped most everyone in the room in their tracks. And when it cleared and vision returned, Heartless and humans alike were shocked to find an enormous hole in the middle of the Heartless army--originating around Riku and branching out on all sides, as if he were standing on ground zero of a massive explosion, except that he and all the other Keyblade Masters in its path had not been harmed one bit by it.

For a moment everyone was too stunned to move, but then the Heartless began to regroup, and abruptly Sora had Kairi's hand and was dashing toward Riku even as Iri did the same. Kiru scrambled to his feet with Iraki's help, and they took off running toward him as well. The Heartless began to converge on the group again, but it wasn't enough to stop their reunion. Just like that, the intense danger was gone, and the six were again fighting side by side.

"You used the Golden Keyblade," Kiru murmured when he was next to his parallel. There was a smile on his face.

Riku felt dazed--probably from the energy that he had just used up--but he smiled as well. "It's a useful trick."

"I've never seen it do so _much_..."

"Yeah, that was awesome!" Sora declared, "Just...don't overdo it, all right? And everybody, come on! We're almost there!"

Despite the injuries that they had sustained during that almost-catastrophe, the battle turned around again as they began to fight together, and it didn't take long for the six to make it all the way up to the platform at the top of the foyer--and the unfinished Keyhole at its center.

"So...we all know the Golden Keyblade sure packed a punch," Iri spoke up when they got there, rolling her eyes even as she shot another Firaga spell at the Heartless that just wouldn't give up. But then she broke out in a grin. "But _we'll _take it from here." And she gave Iraki a look, gesturing at the Keyblade in the girl's hand, before glancing back at the boys. "So cover us!"

"We're on it." Riku sounded a bit annoyed at Iri's obvious attempt to downplay his success, but he turned his back to the three White Keyblade Masters, fighting against his exhaustion and raising his Keyblade in preparation to attack the enemies that were coming their way. Sora stepped up beside him, and Kiru joined them just after, leaning ever-so-slightly against his false twin.

"But what do we do?" Iraki asked Iri, holding up the blade in her hand uncertainly. She looked from it to the large, multi-colored portal before them. What exactly was the White Keyblade supposed to do to it--and how?

"Maybe...it's like when we use the Keyblade to heal people?" Kairi suggested, setting her hand on top of Iraki's at the hilt of the weapon. She gave a reassuring smile, trying not to listen to the sounds of the battle going on around them. "Don't worry so much, and let's just try it, okay? We'll make it work."

"It's a lot more useful than standing here worrying about it," Iri grumbled, setting her hand on top of the other two's. "So what did you have in mind?"

"Close your eyes," Kairi instructed, "And just...concentrate. Tell the Keyblade what we want it to do. If we all tell it together, I'm sure it'll know."

"So you think it's about the will." Iri let her eyes slide closed. "Probably right. On three, then?"

"The...will...?" Iraki murmured in confusion.

"One..."

"Let's try it," Kairi prodded softly, giving Iraki another smile and then closing her own eyes.

"Two..."

Iraki bit her lip. But she nodded, though neither of them could see it, and closed her eyes as well.

"Three!"

* * *

The rumbling in Ansem's lab caught both the scientist and the king off-guard. After their initial alarm, however, they both began to suspect that they knew its source. 

"Do you think they could have already..." Mickey started.

The scientist stopped him with a wavering smile. "Of course they did. They're determined."

"Ansem." Mickey gave the scientist a stern look. "You're the last person I ever expected to be such a pessimist about all this."

"Pessimist? But I'm not-"

"You _are_."

"..." Ansem sighed. "I just never expected to find anything like this journal entry, Mickey," he confided, "I will never stop believing in the light. The only way to solve any of this is to open that door. But...I never even imagined that the cost would be..." He faltered. "How could the light permit it?"

"We don't even really know it will, do we?" the mouse pointed out, "All that entry says it that Anthem _expected_ the Keyblade Master wouldn't be able to survive. It was just speculation."

"That's true, but..." Ansem hesitated, taking a shuddering breath. "Haven't these children suffered enough already?" he whispered.

Mickey frowned, reaching up as high as he could but unable to reach his friend's shoulder. He settled for patting him on the arm instead. "I know how you feel, Ansem. But no matter what we think, we can't give up on them now. They need us to keep supporting them, no matter what they're heading toward."

Ansem paused at those words. Then he reached down and patted the hand that was on his arm. "Yes, I know..." he admitted wistfully, "I only wish there were more we could do."

Mickey frowned, but then an idea struck him, and he began to smile faintly. "Well..." he started, "There is _one_ thing you could try."

"Really?" Ansem brightened immediately, leaning in toward his friend in excited surprise. "What is that?"

"You could believe in them."

Ansem paused again at that, a chuckle escaping his lips. "It looks like you _are_ the optimist right now after all. Perhaps I should do something to ensure that you do not take my role."

The mouse smiled up at him. "And what would that be?"

"Well, there's no _need_ to guard this machine anymore. And a king can't just _let_ his castle continue under siege."

Mickey raised an eyebrow. "Maybe a king would be best-suited for helping secure his Grand Foyer?"

For the first time since he had brought out the journal, the scientist smiled. "Exactly what I was thinking."

* * *

The explosion of light that came pouring from the portal caught them all by surprise--as it seemed to do to the Heartless that had been in the room. _Had been_ because, when the light cleared, there wasn't a single one left--only a group of Keyblade Masters gathered before a portal and four warriors standing in various places near the door. 

Sora was the first to get over his shock, even though he had to avert his eyes a bit because of the pain the portal's bright light brought him even with his blindfold on. "Wow," he breathed, a grin spreading across his face, "Now that was _cool_."

Riku snickered, pulling his own blindfold lower over his eyes. Kiru just blinked at him. Iri shook her head. Kairi giggled.

"It worked..." Iraki murmured, her eyes still focused in awe on the portal before them. It was the same heart-shape as before, but now, rather than the swirling colors that had been within it, the vortex was filled with nothing but pure white.

"Of course it worked!" Iri declared, removing her hand from the others' on the hilt of the White Keyblade. "We didn't all gather here for nothing."

"But I wonder where it leads?" Kairi spoke up, letting go of the Keyblade as well.

"Shouldn't it go to the End of the World?" Sora asked, "I mean...isn't it the same portal as the one in Hollow Bastion?"

"Come on, Sora!" Riku shook his head at his friend. "You didn't forget this is the other side of the mirror, did you?"

"No!" Sora replied defensively, "But...what else would be at the end except, you know...the end?"

"Darkness leads to the end," Kiru stated, "But light...maybe..."

"How about we just go through and find out?" Iri interrupted, "Or did you _want_ to wait around here until more Heartless get in?" Her words were directed at the group in general, not Kiru specifically, but the young man winced anyway, and Iri made a bit of a face, looking like she regretted her words. "I just..." she started, her tone much more subdued this time, "I'm sick of so much waiting around!"

"She's right," Riku, to everyone's surprise, agreed, "There's no point in drawing this out any longer than we already have."

"All right then!" Sora declared, stepping up in front of the others and pulling his blindfold completely over his eyes, "Forward march!" But as he took a step, a thoughtful look took over his expression, and he turned and added with a grin, "Race you, Riku!" before bolting for the portal, jumping over its short threshold to dive right in.

"Sora!" Kairi cried involuntarily. She took one look at the others before saying, "I guess...that decides it." And she started forward toward the portal herself.

"He cheated," Riku complained, stepping up next to Kairi with a mock-pout on his face. He glanced at her as he reached the threshold before pulling his own blindfold down all the way. "You ready?"

Kairi took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes." Riku took her hand, and together they gave a jump and disappeared inside the light.

"Well...they actually listened for once." Iri sounded pleasantly surprised. "Want some help, Kiru?"

"I've got him," Iraki broke in before he could even respond, "I mean...if Kiru thinks it's okay..."

For his part, Kiru looked from one girl to the other with a rather indecipherable expression on his face and then said, a bit nervously, "Ah...thank you both, but I can walk..."

"You're not supposed to be on your feet!"

"But you're limping..."

Kiru winced, though the expression obviously had more to do with their simultaneous protests than any pain he might have been in. "I'm fine," he insisted, starting forward on his own to prove it.

"Kiru!"

Having Iri go for his shoulder at the same moment that Iraki went for his opposite arm couldn't help but disturb his precarious balance. He tried to lean forward, but this just led to a bit of overcompensation, and seconds later, he and Iraki were tumbling forward into the portal, Iri dragged along behind them.

* * *

"_Is it you, at last?"_

The words were the first sound that reached Sora in the void of brightness so blinding he couldn't even open his eyes to look around him. It was one voice, or at least, it was spoken in unison. It echoed and resonated, as if it were many voices combined, reminding him eerily of the way Riku had sounded, once.

"...huh?" was all he could think to respond as he floated within the light he couldn't even bear, listening.

"_The key! We can feel it. You can't hide it, key of darkness."_

Sora blinked. _We...? And why darkness? _"I'm a Keyblade Master. But I'm not darkness anything. And...who are you?"

"_There are three keys of darkness now...where are the keys of light?"_

"Sora? Is that you?" came a very familiar voice, filling him with relief.

"Kairi?"

"We're here. But who is that?"

"Riku! Where's everybody else, though?"

_"...there are six here now. Three are missing. And two cannot come."_

"There are...six? Hey, you guys, you here?" Sora called.

"...three? And...two?" Kairi asked at the same time, "No, the only one who's missing..."

"Aros is the only other Keyblade Master," Riku stated.

"But I don't even hear the others, and-" Sora started.

_"Is that what you desire?"_

"...huh?"

_"Most would want to travel this Path alone. To find friends at the end, yes, but not to walk down it with them."_

"What path? And who are you?" Riku demanded, beginning to sound annoyed.

"Yeah!" Sora agreed, "Aren't we in the Keyhole? Can we seal it from here?"

_"This Keyhole can only be sealed from the outside."_

"What? Why didn't you say something _before_ I came inside, then? I've got to-"

_"Do not trouble yourself with the world, key of darkness. The wild card will see to it."_

"...okay, this is making less and less sense every minute. But I guess if Empty Citadel is okay..."

"Tell us who you are!" Riku interrupted, his annoyance quickly shifting to anger.

_"We are who we always have been,"_ the voice replied, _"We are the gate."_

"Can't you tell us anything more?" Kairi attempted a bit timidly, "What gate, and what path are we going to walk?"

_"We will not unite all six for the Path. But you three...your Path is shared. We will permit it...unless you desire to be separated."_

"There's no way we wanna split up!" Sora stated immediately.

"We should find out what this is before we decide," Riku protested, "Why do people want to go alone?"

Sora frowned, confused even by the thought of wanting to go somewhere without his friends. "Why would _we_ want to go alone? The door to the light has to be nearby! We shouldn't get split up now."

"But if that's true and this path is meant to be walked alone, then it should mean that we'll all meet up at the end of it, right?" Kairi interjected.

"Well, I guess, but..." Sora considered the idea for a minute. "I guess an explanation wouldn't hurt first. Hey, um...Voice? Could you-"

_"Sora is lacking skepticism. Riku lacks control. Kairi lacks strength. It is just as the Gatekeepers have dictated."_

"...that wasn't exactly what I was asking."

"What do you mean...Gatekeepers?" Kairi breathed.

_"...one is here now. The two who are missing are the other Gatekeeper and the final key. The wild cards...one cannot be permitted to come alone, and the other cannot come. They must be left behind."_

There was silence for a moment after that. Then Sora piped up with, "Riku, I don't think we're going to get a straight answer out of this guy...or these guys or whatever."

_"Will you walk the Path of Cleansing alone or together?"_

"...or maybe that's as close as we're going to get. Path of Cleansing... What do you guys think? It doesn't sound like something _I'd_ want to do alone."

"No, probably not," Riku agreed. More loudly, to make it clear he was now addressing the voice itself, he stated, "We'll go together."

There was a brief silence before the voice came back with one more statement. _"The decision is made. From here, the Path begins."_

* * *

"...Iraki? Iri?" 

"Kiru?"

"Where are we?"

"I can't see a thing..."

"Are we...floating?"

_"Three of the keys of light, we welcome you,"_ came a voice that seemed to be made up of many voices. The three looked around at the sound, but it did them no good. They couldn't even see each other in the light that enveloped them, much less whatever was speaking to them.

"Who's there?" Iraki asked nervously.

_"Will you tread the Path of Cleansing together or apart? That one choice we will give you."_

"What?" Kiru breathed.

_"Together or apart? Though you do not know what it will mean. Princesses of Empty Citadel, you shall make this interesting, at the least."_

"What are you talking about?" Iri demanded, her temper clearly rising.

"Iri, maybe we shouldn't..." Kiru started.

_"Together or apart?"_ the voice insisted

"Argh, are you kidding?" Iri cried, "We're not facing you alone!"

_"...it is not we that you need to fear facing, white key of light. It is only yourself..."_

* * *

"Well," Rikku said a moment after the last of the Keyblade Masters had disappeared into the light, "It looks like they're gone." 

"Yeah," Tidus agreed, still slashing at the Heartless that were slowly backing him through the doorway, "Now we just gotta keep them from being followed."

"The Heartless can't follow them."

Everyone blinked in surprise, but no one doubted Auron's words. "So then what should we..." Yuna started.

"But others _can _follow!"

Golden hair suddenly became visible among the shadows outside the door. And, after several flashes of light, the Heartless were thinned enough to reveal the short mouse fighting through beside the man. Four other warriors were coming up behind them, looking tired but still fighting off the Heartless with everything they had.

"Ansem!" Tidus burst out, "What are _you_ doing here?"

Auron, on the other hand, didn't seem the least bit surprised. He simply took a step forward, using a few easy swings to help decimate some of the Heartless that remained between the king and the doorway. "I thought you might try something like this."

"They all already went through the Keyhole?" Mickey asked.

"Yes."

"Then, Ansem, maybe we should be-"

"I'm going after them."

Everyone but Auron--the mouse included--stopped in their tracks.

"You're _what_?"

"But are you sure that..."

"Whaaa...?"

"Ansem," Mickey said, firmly but a little sadly, as if he had to tell a child that something he really wanted to do wasn't actually possible, "what would you _do_? You can't-"

"Can't you hear it, Mickey?" Ansem asked, turning to the mouse with such an enraptured look on his face that the other couldn't help being startled by it. "My role isn't over yet after all! Can't you hear it?"

The small king frowned, continuing to fight the Heartless so that they could enter the room, but mostly because he feared the scientist was too distracted to keep himself out of trouble otherwise. Leon drew up close behind them, probably with the same thing in mind.

"Hear what?" Mickey asked.

"It's calling me!" As he spoke, Ansem stepped out of the group of shadows and entered the doorway protected by the four warriors. This gave him a full view of the portal that streamed light at the end of the room. If possible, his eyes lit up even more at the sight. "The Keyhole is calling me..."

Mickey looked positively alarmed. "Ansem, I know you want to keep helping them, but neither of us know anything about what's on the other side, and-"

Ansem still paid him absolutely no heed. "I'm going, Mickey. There must be a reason why it wants me!" He started across the room, running as quickly as his long white coat would allow, even as Mickey chased after him.

"Ansem, this is crazy! Just stop for a moment and think about this..."

Thankfully, the man _did_ stop. Even as Mickey sighed in relief, however, Ansem's eyes bored into his. "My friend..."

The mouse king gave him an uncertain look. "Yes, Ansem?"

"I've told you, haven't I? About how all this started?"

The mouse was silent for a moment. Then, "The choices."

"What to be given...and what to have taken away."

"But this is no time for you to start-"

The man shook his head, and the mouse fell silent. Something about his face was so serene it was almost disturbing. "I am not blaming myself," he stated, "The choices...had to be made. But please, try to understand. Before the choices, I felt this same...pull. This has been my task, too, since the beginning. And as long as my other is out there, I am certain my role will not end."

"You plan to face him?" Mickey asked.

Ansem smiled. "I will do anything the Keyblade Masters will permit me to."

"Heh." The mouse couldn't help smiling a bit as well. He reached out to his friend, setting a hand on his arm again. "Then...take care. I'll watch your kingdom for now, but you'd better come back to do the job soon!"

Ansem's smile widened, his eyes lighting up with surprise. "Thank you, my friend," he replied thickly, his eyes beginning to glisten.

"Awww, now don't do that, Ansem." Mickey gave his arm one more final pat before letting it go. "You just better get going...and fulfill your role."

The scientist nodded, his expression turning firm. "I will."

"Then go!"

As he watched the tall man run to the portal at the end of the hall and plunge himself inside, Mickey couldn't help the sinking feeling that knotted in his stomach.

Then again, Ansem wasn't the only one who had an other out there somewhere. And the thought of the other mouse who was probably beyond that door, though no one knew for sure where in the universe he was, gave the king of the Sovereign's Palace hope that would not be shaken. He, like Ansem, would never doubt the light and its chosen warriors. But at this point, he knew the more help they could get, the better. He just had to hope that the help they would need could come through for them in the end.


	53. The Path of Cleansing

As I've said in the past, no matter how long a break there might sometimes be between chapters, I am determined to see this fic through until the end. Of course, I'll try to keep the breaks between chapters as short as I can! I can't apologize enough for the delay in the release of this chapter. If I still have readers out there looking at this, I hope it's worth the wait!

Special thanks to Ariana Aislinn for her invaluable beta help!

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 53: The Path of Cleansing  
**

_"Sora? Sora!"_

"Kairi?" the young man asked, blinking at the sound of the voice. He was still engulfed in bright light that hid everything around him, but he could feel that something had changed since a moment ago. Also, Kairi sounded strange--her voice more high-pitched, as if she had somehow regressed in age.

_"Sooooora! Wake up, you lazy bum!"_

_"Huh? Oh, hi, Kairi."_

Sora's eyes widened at _that_ very familiar but very young voice. "…huh?"

_"What were you **doing**, Sora?"_ The little girl giggled. _"You kept talking, even though you were asleep!"_

"Is this a memory?" piped up Riku's teenage voice from somewhere else in the light.

"I remember this..." Kairi murmured, "That was the first time-"

Her words were drowned out by a sudden rush of air and a tinkling sound, like bells. The light, though it seemed impossible, flared up even more brightly than before, but then it slowly began to dim, bit by bit, fading out around them to reveal an unexpected scene.

It was as though they had _entered _the memory. All three stood on the familiar sandy beach of their island, down close to the water. It was one of many beautiful sunny days that they used to enjoy so often, without a single cloud in the sky and a brisk breeze staving off the heat. The three travelers, however, were focused less on their surroundings and more on the others who were on the beach with them. Two children, miniature versions of Sora and Kairi, perhaps from six or seven years ago, were sitting on the sand on the edge of the water, so that the waves splashed nearly all the way up their legs. The little Sora had sand in his hair--a clear testament that, until a moment ago, he had been lying down.

_"Talking?"_ he repeated, blinking at the girl before letting out a huge yawn, _"What was I talking about?"_

"Whoa," teenage Sora breathed. He was right behind his younger self, allowing him to stick out a hand and wave it right through his own head. _That_ startled him enough that he immediately withdrew his hand. "Okay, that was weird."

_"You weren't making any sense,"_ little Kairi admitted, frowning a bit in thought. The two children were making it clear that they were completely unaware of the three visitors, the memory continuing on as if they weren't even there. _"You kept saying funny things...about doors and waves and darkness."_ She smiled. _"Are you **still** afraid of the dark, Sora?"_

"Why are we seeing this?" Riku piped up. "Did something happen here?"

The young boy's eyes bugged even as Riku spoke, and he pouted. _"I'm not afraid of the dark! It just...musta been a dream or something."_ He screwed up his face in thought. _"I don't remember dreaming..."_

The older Sora frowned as well. "Well...I guess I dreamed about some important stuff--the doors and everything. But we already know what all that was really about. Why would it be important now?"

_"Well, you better not do any more of it,"_ little Kairi stated, heedless of their conversation, _"We've been waiting on you! Aren't you and Riku s'posed to have your contest today?"_

Kairi gave a small gasp at those words. "Maybe...it wants to remind us..."

Sora frowned. "Of what? Not about my dreams."

Kairi didn't reply.

Meanwhile, the younger Sora's eyes widened again at Kairi's words, and he stood in a flash. _"That's right! Where is he? We gotta start!"_

The small Kairi giggled at his frantic manner. _"He's over on his island. But..."_ And she hesitated, glancing over in the direction of the island, a frown now developing on her features.

Sora quirked an eyebrow. _"But what? I'm late!"_

Kairi nodded, chewing her lip a little. She turned to the boy and finally commented, _"It doesn't matter who wins."_

The older Sora's eyes went a little wide then. "Oh. Remind us of _that_..." He gave Kairi a sheepish glance. She had a worried look on her face, so he smiled to make her stop.

Little Sora, meanwhile, only blinked, clearly not understanding what the small Kairi had meant. _"Huh?"_

_"It doesn't matter who wins!"_ Kairi repeated, _"Don't forget that...okay?"_

_"Uh...okay..."_ Sora waved a hand, grinning confidently. _"But it's gonna be me!"_ And then he took off across the sand.

_"But Sora...!"_ Kairi called after him. He didn't notice, and she sighed, chewing her lip again. _"That's not what I meant..."_

And with that, the scene suddenly began to change, the image of the landscape around them growing sharper, brighter, as if the sun were rising to its peak in an instant. The brightening rapidly continued until the colors began to wash out into white and, finally, the scene disappeared completely.

"Okay...what now?" Sora wondered aloud. But he had hardly finished speaking before another younger version of himself interrupted him, though this Sora was older than the last.

_"Okay, so, you're coming with us, right? We've got this awesome rocket. Wait 'til you see it!"_

Before the light had even faded to reveal the new scene, both Riku and Sora stiffened, remembering this moment clearly.

_"No, he can't come!"_ responded a quack as sight began to return.

The three could now see Sora and Riku, dressed as they had been four years ago at the beginning of their adventure. They were both standing in the Third District of Traverse Town. Goofy and Donald were next to Sora, but Riku stood apart from the group, watching with an expression that was slowly tightening.

_"What?"_ Sora cried in disbelief, leaning down to better argue with the duck.

_"Forget it!"_

Goofy's attention was on the fight as well. Both the older Riku and Sora winced as the yellow-shirted Riku simply walked away without anyone the wiser. Kairi stared in surprised sadness.

_"Oh, come on! He's my friend!"_

_"I don't care!"_

After a moment, Goofy looked up and finally ended the fight. _"Huh? He's gone."_

Younger Sora straightened in surprise at that._ "Riku?_" he called, stepping forward toward the wall where Riku had been standing. Donald, with his wings crossed over his chest, started tapping his foot._ "Nice going." _Sora said to the duck, who seemed nonplussed._ "Oh, well," _the boy added, putting his hands behind his head and looking decidedly Sora-ish again, as if all his worry were already gone. And then the light overtook the scene just as it had before, the voices fading to silence.

"I..." Sora began as soon as the scene was gone, his throat a little tight.

_"Sora,"_ interrupted a voice that resonated with the sound of many voices--the same one that had sent them down this path.

"What?" Sora all but snapped at it, sounding shaken.

_"Did you **let** Riku fall to darkness--by trusting him not to?"_

The light began to fade, just slightly, so that the three could see each other floating within it. They looked from one to another in confusion, none of them knowing what to make of this. Riku opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. Sora frowned, opening his own mouth and turning his head up toward the undefined space where the voice was coming from. Kairi and Riku watched him form words, but they heard nothing from him, either.

_"Is that true?"_ came the voice, breaking the silence as if in reply to Sora's unheard words. And then the light brightened again until the three had to squeeze their eyes shut and wait for what was coming next.

* * *

_"Riku? What's wrong?"_

Brightness was still hiding the next scene from their eyes, but just like before, the three began to hear voices. And, like last time, the girl's voice was familiar but more high-pitched, far younger than the way she sounded now.

_"Huh? Nothing. Just...it looks like Sora's still sick."_

_"Ah...yeah..."_

As silence stretched between the two who had been speaking, the light slowly faded, bringing the scene into focus.

Riku sat lounging on the paopu tree, wearing his old blue pants and yellow shirt. Kairi was next to him in her little skirt, kicking her legs as she stared out at the sea. He, on the other hand, had his eyes focused on her.

The real Sora glanced questioningly at the real Riku over the heads of the two small memory children. "What's with this? Was it a special day?"

Riku and Kairi were both frowning in thought. Neither of them seemed able to remember anything special about this afternoon.

But as they thought, the memory continued. The small Riku sighed, turning to the sea as well. _"This is boring."_

_"Oh!"_ Kairi shifted her gaze to him now, her face frowning in a way that mirrored the expression of her older counterpart. _"Was there something you wanted to do? Sorry."_

Riku shrugged. _"Nah. There wasn't really anything."_

Kairi nodded, but she still looked concerned. There was another long silence. The three travelers didn't even speak, wondering what could be coming in what looked like such a mundane memory.

The younger Riku finally went back to watching Kairi, now seeming worried about _her_ worry. She caught him this time, however. They both quickly looked away, but she broke the silence with, _"Hey, Riku?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"If you wanna do something, you should say it."_

_"...huh?"_

The girl blushed a little. _"Well, I know you speak up when Sora's here, but when he's not... You look so nervous! Am I scary or something?"_ She giggled.

_"No way," _Riku replied. He gave her a pointed look that was almost a little glum. _"But you never say what you want to do, either."_

_"But that's because I'm happy like this!" _Kairi declared, smiling as she pulled her legs up to her chest, gazing out at the water.

_"Really?"_

Riku's word was so quiet that the girl glanced at him, not seeming to have heard. _"Hm?"_

_"Nothing. I like it, too."_

As the three watched in confusion, the scene began to change, just as the last had, growing sharper and brighter until they all had to cover their eyes as it faded to white. One last sound was audible, however, before the scene was completely gone. Riku was sighing in defeat.

_"Riku,"_ came the now-familiar voice of voices, _"Are you jealous of Sora?"_

And again the light faded, just slightly, so the three could see each other. As it had been with Sora, however, the scene was robbed of sound. The young man opened his mouth anyway, but nothing came out at all.

Riku locked eyes with the two as he opened his own mouth to respond. Sora and Kairi couldn't possibly mistake his lips forming the word, "_Yes,_" though he continued to speak with a sentence that was too long for them to make out.

Sora's lips formed a soundless protest of "_Riku!_" At the same time, the voice came back, asking, _"Is that true?"_

The light began to brighten yet again, but the two had already seen Riku give another yes before they were forced to close their eyes against the glare.

* * *

_"You can't go."_

The trio barely had time to breathe before the sounds of the next scene filled the void around them. The identity of this disembodied voice was as obvious as the previous ones--a younger version of a certain brown-haired boy.

_"Why not?"_ protested a little Kairi in response.

_"Because it's way too dangerous."_

The light faded, slowly making the surroundings visible to the three. Sora's and Kairi's eyes widened at the sight of the two of them in the Secret Waterway, standing across from each other and having a conversation that both remembered well. Riku looked on a little uncomfortably, not quite sure what this scene was going to bring, but knowing it was probably something he didn't want to see.

_"Come on, Sora," _the little Kairi continued, _"We made it this far by sticking together. You can't go alone."_

Sora looked uncomfortable at her insistence, not really annoyed, but worried and a bit exasperated. _"Kairi, even if we're apart, we're not alone anymore. Right?"_ he reasoned.

They could all see as Kairi's resolve began to crumble, just like that. _"I can't help?"_ she asked a bit feebly.

Sora smiled at her. He had a faint laugh in his voice. _"You'd kind of be in my way."_

And that was the end of it. _"Okay. You win."_ Even as the young Kairi retrieved the star-shaped charm and began to hold it out to the boy, the scene brightened, sharpening and lightening until they could no longer watch it. Silence overtook the words, blocking out the promise that had ended their meeting.

_"Kairi, do you worry that you are useless to the others?"_

The light began to fade now. The scene was long gone, but the three could see each other floating in the whiteness, though the voice's question was the only sound.

Kairi blinked in surprise at its words, fidgeting a little before she opened her mouth and gave an answer that was too long and guarded for the other two to pick up.

_"Is that true?"_ the voice asked.

The girl nodded, her expression becoming resolute.

After that, there was nothing for a moment. No sound, no change in the light, no new scenes of the past like before. The three looked from one to another. They had each been presented with a memory and a question, so what was next? How could they get out of here?

There was no need to worry, however, as the voice came back then.

_"Sora...Riku...Kairi... You have all passed. The path is now open. You may go forward and continue your journey."_

And as they all watched in shock, the light before them _parted_, opening like a curtain on a sky of rainbow beams and a road made of gold.

"The road between worlds..." Riku murmured. They all blinked in surprise at his voice. Sound had returned. "Should we go?" the silver-haired youth asked, starting forward before looking to see if his friends were following.

Sora nodded, going after him, but they both stopped when they realized that the third member of their group wasn't moving. "Kairi?" the brown-haired young man asked, turning to her in concern. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Iraki..."

Sora frowned even as Riku's eyes widened.

"They're going to ask her what they asked you," Riku said. It was much more a statement than a question.

"But...is that a bad thing?" Sora broke in. "I mean, Riku said he was jealous--oohhh, sorry, Riku! I saw you say yes is all."

Riku's expression looked slightly annoyed, but he shook his head. "I did. But I also said that I'd learned, and...I know I have my own path now."

There was a brief silence as the other two took this in before they both broke out in smiles. "Good answer!" Sora declared, "That's...really great." He was positively beaming.

Riku shook his head at him. "There you go with that dumb grin. But what about you?" He eyed the other young man pointedly, unable to just let it go that the question Sora had been asked had been caused by Riku's own actions.

"Me?" Sora's smile slipped, and he looked down. "I said I've made some mistakes." Riku opened his mouth to interrupt, but Sora pushed on first. "I won't ever regret trusting a friend!" he declared, "But...you can't just miss it when they need you. That's not right either." He offered Riku a smile.

The other young man looked shocked for a moment, but then he shook his head and reached out to ruffle Sora's hair.

"Hey!" Sora protested, pushing Riku's hand away. His goofy grin had returned. Riku let his hand drop, and they were silent--until they noticed Kairi watching them rather expectantly.

Sora frowned again, looking at the girl nervously. She didn't say anything, but he had a feeling that he knew what she was waiting for. "Hey, Kairi?" he started, "What did you...I mean, if you don't mind sharing..." The young man reddened slightly, putting a hand behind his head.

Kairi smiled a little at his antics, nodding at the request. "I said that I worry sometimes, but...I know it isn't true. I've seen that there are things that I can do, too."

Sora nodded in approval, although he began to fidget a bit afterwards, attempting to scuff a shoe against the air in which they were floating. "Hey, Kairi?" he asked again.

Kairi blinked at his behavior. "What is it?"

"When I said you'd be in my way, uh...well..." He fidgeted a little more. The girl just watched him, waiting to see what he would say. "I...I shouldn't have," he finished, "Sorry. I was stupid then, and...I didn't understand."

Kairi smiled. "I don't mind. That was a long time ago."

Sora looked very relieved. "I won't do it again," he promised.

"Neither of us will," Riku added.

Kairi's smile widened, and for a moment she just looked warmly at her two friends. Then she declared, "All right, it's a promise. So you better not!"

They all laughed at her attempted threat, and Sora looked about ready to start moving again when Kairi called to stop him, her smile fading back into worry. "Sora! Wait. I...don't think Iraki would give the same answer as I did."

"You're probably right," Riku agreed solemnly. He glanced at the golden path before them, frowning with indecision, but then he sighed. "If we go back, maybe there's a chance that we can meet up with them."

Sora's eyes widened in shock at the suggestion. "Whoa! Go back? Uh...I doubt the Voice would like that very much!" He looked at the faces of his friends, however, and swallowed hard. "You really think we shouldn't just believe in her?" he asked, sounding very uncomfortable. "I mean, Kiru and Iri are there, too. And Iraki can do a lot of great things!"

"But _she_ doesn't believe that," Riku countered, "Especially not after what happened with Aros."

"I don't want to risk this, Sora," Kairi added earnestly, "I know we need to get to the door to the light, but...I think they need our help."

Sora was quiet after that declaration, considering. He gave another look at the path before them, his gaze longing, but then turned back to his friends and bit his lip. Finally, he nodded. "Friends are always most important," he said. "Okay...let's go back and see if we can find them. It's worth a try."

Riku nodded back, and Kairi smiled. "Thanks, Sora."

He just shook his head. "We'll be back here soon." His tone was still uncertain, but he had a smile on his face. "So let's go!" And with one last look at the golden road, followed by a glance at his friends' determined expressions, Sora turned straight away from the exit, moving his arms and legs in an attempt to float deeper into the light.

The voice responded almost immediately to the change. _"You will not continue your journey?"_

Sora winced at that, but Riku jumped in to cover his hesitation.

"We will. But not without our friends."

Sora gave him a grateful smile. "Yeah!" he agreed.

_"Their path is different. We cannot permit you-"_

"Couldn't you...ask them if they mind us joining them?" Kairi interrupted.

_"You have traveled your path," _the voice insisted, _"They must now travel theirs."_

"We're doing this together!" Riku protested, "As a team."

Sora and Kairi both gave the young man a funny look at that, but he just shrugged before turning back to look up at the best approximation he could make of where the voice was coming from.

"He's right," Sora agreed, "Why can't we go back and meet them? We'll even do the Path of Cleansing thing again if we have to!"

Riku blinked at that. "Sora-"

_"You would repeat the cleansing and risk losing this path?"_

Sora gave a wink to his friends. "Yeah! What's the point of going ahead if it's not all of us...right?"

"Exactly," Kairi agreed, smiling back at him.

The voice was silent for a moment, as though considering. Then, in a softer, almost kind tone that contrasted greatly with its previous flat one, it stated, _"The cleansing cannot be repeated. But..."_

Silence again. "But?" Riku asked, as if he could encourage this new voice made up of softer voices to give them more details.

The voice answered back, but in a completely different tone once again, this one rough, almost cruel. _"That is all. No one can be permitted to go back unless they wish to leave completely--and never return."_

"Whoa, that's not fair!" Sora protested, looking up into the light in consternation. What was going on? Why was the voice changing?

_"They can,_" came the softer version of the voice, _"If they were to offer something in return..."_

"Hey, Voice?" Sora tried to interrupt, "What do you mean?"

_"And what would they offer?"_ It was the cruel voice speaking now, as if the voices _were_ different and having an argument with each other.

_"For three to repeat the path...three things. Three changes in the path for the others."_

"Are they...making a deal?" Riku asked curiously.

"But who _are_ they?" Kairi questioned.

_"There is a deal that could be made," _the harsh voice declared.

"What is it?" Riku demanded.

_"The six must watch the cleansing of the Gatekeeper of light."_

The three blinked at each other. "Um...nice voice?" Sora asked, "What does that _mean_?"

Before the other version of the voice could give a response, however, the cruel one spoke up again. _"And the last key of light must be allowed through without a cleansing--along with the Gatekeeper of darkness."_

"The last key...you mean Aros?" Sora asked, scrunching his face in thought, "But then..."

"Ansem," Riku stated, "The Gatekeepers must be the two Ansem's."

"Meaning we'd have to watch the crazy Seeker of Light one do his cleansing? That part doesn't sound so bad," Sora said.

"But...it means Aros and Ansem would be able to go straight to the door to the light, doesn't it?"

Sora's eyes widened at Kairi's words. "Whoa, no way!"

_"Then you refuse?"_ There was a sneer in the cruel voice.

"Sora...we might have to let that happen." Riku said with a grimace.

"But this is the door to the light we're talking about!"

"Well...what would happen if...if Iraki didn't pass this 'cleansing'?" Kairi asked, glancing upwards to show that her question was meant more for the voices than for her friends.

_"Anyone who fails is sent back to the beginning," _the cruel voice stated.

_"And they can never return," _added the other.

The three's eyes widened.

"That...would be a problem..." Sora breathed. He locked eyes with Kairi, knowing that they were all thinking the same thing. If Iraki couldn't get to the door to the light, then when they opened it, Kairi...

"Sora."

The young man nodded, and Riku didn't bother to say anything else. "Okay," Sora declared, looking up at the air where the voices originated, "We agree. Aros and Ansem can come through free, and...we'll watch that other cleansing. If we can go back to our friends in return."

"Sora-" Kairi started to protest, but the youth shook his head resolutely.

"Sorry, Kairi," he managed to get out before the light consumed them again.

* * *

"There's no end to them!" Rikku cried as she threw the last of her grenades at the Heartless invading Empty Citadel's Grand Foyer. 

"Did you expect there to be?" Cloud asked, glancing back at her as the light flared. Then he dove into the distracted shadows, destroying as many as he could with heavy swings of his blade.

"But she's right!" Yuffie piped up, "We can't keep guarding the Keyhole like this forever." And as if to lend credence to her words, she threw a shuriken into the Heartless in front of her only to be caught in the side by a group trying to sneak past her. "Aaaah!"

"Watch out," Auron cautioned, appearing beside her and making short work of the Heartless that were attacking.

Yuffie grinned up at him. "I'm watching! I just needed a few more eyes that time."

Nearby, Leon was starting to wonder if he had bitten off more than he could chew by plunging right into the midst of the Heartless. He was holding his own for the moment, his powered-up sword cutting through the shadows like paper, but as Rikku had said, it didn't look like the enemies were ever going to end. "There has to be a better way to do this!"

Yuna, apparently seeing his plight, came up beside him, launching a flare spell into the enemies. "I think we'd all be open to ideas."

"Yeah, Auron, shouldn't you be coming up with one about now?" Tidus called from where he was jumping around a group of Heartless, cutting them down and dodging their attacks, although any who were watching closely would notice that he was doing so a lot more slowly than he had been at the beginning of the battle. He let out a sudden cry, falling back into the Heartless as one dug into his arm and several others jumped him.

"Tidus!"

The young man managed to free himself from the enemies a moment later, popping back out of the Heartless while slashing madly, glowing with energy. "No worries!"

Aerith, who was sticking close to Cloud in the approximate center of the hall, sent a healing spell Tidus's way just in case.

"Reckless!" Rikku called to him in annoyance.

"Hey!"

Their banter was swiftly interrupted, however, by a loud call from the mouse king who stood near the Keyhole itself, firing off light spells to keep any Heartless that got near him at bay. "I'm glad to hear you're both so energetic, but too many are making it through!"

"It'd be a lot easier if there weren't three times as many pushing through the door now," Yuffie grumbled, jumping over an attempted tackle and landing on the head of the shadow that had been so reckless. "Is every Heartless in Empty Citadel coming here, or what?"

"If that's true, then we're going to have a long battle left," Cloud said solemnly.

"Or not."

Everyone turned to Leon in surprise, unable to understand what could spur on such a comment when they were surrounded by nothing but black. He was the closest of them all to the door, and as each of them looked at that area in turn, their eyes widened.

The Heartless were _parting_ off to either side, the wall of black literally splitting and the Heartless standing still once they'd moved out of the path of...whatever was coming.

"Leon, what is that?" Yuna asked breathlessly, "Why are the Heartless all...?" She trailed off as the ones she was attacking suddenly broke off their offensive. The creatures, as one, turned away from the woman and bolted for the crowd in the doorway.

In fact, every single Heartless in the room had stopped attacking and bolted for the doorway, forming two rows along the sides of the room and leaving all the humans standing stunned in the center. Slowly, the ones near the door continued parting, giving a better and better look toward whatever was coming, the wall thinning more with each passing second. For a moment everything was deathly silent as all eyes were trained on that spot.

It was Mickey who finally broke the silence, answering Yuna's unfinished question even as the last of the Heartless parted off to the sides, giving them all a clear view right down their center of the figure who was calmly entering. "Aros."


	54. The Power of Choice

I am so excited to finally post this chapter--and rather quickly after the last one, relatively speaking. I have to admit, KHII Mickey was a great influence for the battle scene. I hope you all enjoy it! Also, special thanks to Ariana Aislinn for her always-irreplaceable beta help!

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 54: The Power of Choice  
**

After a few moments of simply floating through the light, a familiar voice broke the silence around Kiru, Iraki, and Iri.

_"We need to look at every element of that dream. It won't come true unless everything is there."_

"Ansem?"

It was definitely Iri who spoke the name aloud, which was the first sign to the other two that all three were still together. It didn't seem to them that they were alone, however. That first voice _had_ sounded just like the scientist.

_"The only thing I'm missing now is the sword."_ To their surprise, especially to Kiru's, a new, even more unmistakable voice spoke up in response--Kiru himself.

"H-how?" This voice was Kiru's again, but it sounded somehow more _present_ than the other had, as if one were coming from far off and this was from close by.

"Kiru, what-" Iraki began to ask. She stopped, however, as the bright light that surrounded them suddenly flared up and then began to fade, a sound like the tinkling of bells accompanying the change.

The first thing that became visible to the three in the light was each other, but they appeared to be standing on nonexistent ground. That wasn't the case for long, however, as suddenly a floor of gray and white checkered tile materialized out of the light. Then tables appeared around them, and tall bookshelves reaching all the way to the ceiling and curving as they came down toward the floor, bulging in an out. In seconds, the whiteness had gone completely, replaced by a rather odd library--with two occupants.

_"What would you think if...we made sure you never got that sword?"_

Ansem the Seeker of Light stood as tall as ever, but his expression was one that reminded the three very much of when he'd given Sora the journal entry to read. He looked ready to cry, desperation in his eyes that was even rarer than tears. Next to him stood an unscarred Kiru, the young man's expression pained but determined--or perhaps resigned.

"Kiru?" Iraki started again, her voice small, "Is he talking about...about..." She faltered, unable to finish the sentence.

The eyes of the scarred Kiru were haunted, riveted on the two before them. He nodded without looking at her, taking a shuddering breath. "Is this...a memory?" he asked softly of no one in particular.

The Kiru that was part of the scene stared at Ansem in as much shock as the three were showing, but for a very different reason. _"Are you suggesting that we try to prevent my dream from coming true!?"_

Kiru sucked in a sharp breath. The others knew just from looking at him that his guess must have been right.

_"I..."_ Ansem shifted uncomfortably and lowered his gaze, staring down at the tiles. _"I...guess I am, yes."_

"Why are we seeing this?" Iri interrupted, just as the Kiru in the memory shouted out a protest.

"This must be...the Path of Cleansing?" Iraki asked, her voice tight with fear as she watched Ansem look back up at Kiru in nervous surprise. "Kiru, you said..."

Kiru winced, clearly ashamed of what they were seeing, but he had no power to stop the scene that was playing out before their eyes.

_"Why?" _the unscarred Kiru asked, his tone vehemently demanding.

"With things like they are now...it feels like this happened a really long time ago," their Kiru said at the same time, loudly, as if trying to drown out the sounds of the memory. "This is an old decision! I'm not the same now!" But he couldn't stop what was happening before them.

_"Because I did what I did in the dream to save Kairi and Riku!"_

"I didn't know anything when I said this!"

_"You know they're more important than I am, Ansem. We have to let this dream come true. We can't risk them for my sake!"_

"I...I..." Kiru faltered, clenching a fist in frustration as he stared at his previous self--the smooth face in the memory full of determination and conviction, seemingly speaking without a thought for the consequences that were to come. "I didn't..."

Iri and Iraki were both looking at him in concern, but neither could hide their own pain at the words.

"Kiru..." Iraki murmured.

The silence that followed was finally broken when, in the memory, Ansem sighed. _"Then I suppose I should give you your sword."_

With that, the light brightened again until it was too bright to stand, the voices fading out into silence. Then the light began to fade, just enough so that the three could see each other again. Kiru would not meet either of their eyes. Iri opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She frowned, trying again, but still to no avail. Iraki's eyes widened, and she tried as well. Nothing. Kiru didn't even notice.

Their struggles were interrupted, however, when the voice of many voices that they had heard at the beginning suddenly returned. _"Kiru."_

Kiru's head shot up at that. "What is it?"

Both the girls' eyes widened as his voice rang out normally. Iri tried to speak one more time, but with the same result as before. Again, they didn't have long to ponder the problem.

_"Do you believe your life should be thrown away for others?"_

Everyone's eyes widened, and Iraki's and Iri's mouths opened in silent cries. Kiru's mouth opened as well, his eyes sad as he gave an answer that no one else could hear.

The voice was silent for a moment, but then it responded with, _"Is that true?"_

The light brightened again, and all sound disappeared with it.

* * *

Sora, Kairi, and Riku found themselves engulfed in light again. Unlike before, however, they weren't floating so much as suspended, yet able to walk. And, to their great relief, sound remained. Unfortunately, sight did not. 

"What do you think is happening?" Kairi asked, her voice a little small, "Do we just...walk and hope we're headed to them?"

"Well, the Voice said we could go to them, so we must get there somehow," came Sora's unconcerned response. She could just picture him, somewhere near her, hands held behind his head as he calmly moved through the nothingness. "How about...this way? Uh...can you tell which way I'm going? Hey, how about this..." And he started to whistle, the sound slowly traveling away from where Kairi stood.

She heard Riku give a chuckle from next to her. "Sora, are you _ever_ serious?"

The whistling stopped. "Hey, this is a real plan! You can't see me, but you can hear me. How else are we going to stick together?" He resumed whistling.

"You're off-key."

"Huh? And what do _you_ know about whistling?"

Another whistle was suddenly added to Sora's, this one deeper, but the tune was more complicated. "Beat that."

"You just made that song up! Bet you can't whistle this one." Sora responded with his own song.

"That's easy!" And Riku imitated it.

"That wasn't as good as me."

"It was better!"

"Was not!"

Kairi would have yelled at the boys as they continued to banter back and forth, but she couldn't help smiling as they walked. After all, for once their contest had a real purpose--and she knew that both of them were fully aware of that fact as they continued it. In fact, she suspected that was the reason they had decided to have this contest in the first place.

Even if it wasn't, they were all glad for the light moment in such a serious situation. So as they all half-walked, half-ran through the light, determined to make it to the others in time for Iraki's test, they smiled and the boys fought and they acted like they weren't worried at all. It would have been perfect if it weren't for the fact that, somewhere deep inside, they were all wondering just when they'd be able to joke around like this again--if ever.

* * *

_"Aros...what happened to you?"_

Everyone heard Iraki gasp at the sound of her own words.

"Iraki, it's okay," Kiru tried to soothe, though he couldn't see her. But this new memory wouldn't stop for him any more than his own had. The light around them began to fade again, revealing the familiar streets of what had to be either Traverse Town or Crossroads City. A look at the layout quickly confirmed that they were in one of the newer districts.

Two figures were visible in the middle of the street. Aros stood with the Black Keyblade held out before him, glaring down in hatred at the girl on the ground in front of him, the Silver Keyblade clutched tightly in her hand. She shrank back from the blond's cold eyes.

Kiru's own eyes widened. "Iraki..."

_"The light is nothing, Iraki. It is weak and imperfect. But darkness is absolute. Don't you want a universe without pain? Without suffering?"_

Iri watched the boy grimly, grimacing at his words, but Kiru's attention was now devoted completely to the present Iraki's despairing expression.

The responding whisper in the memory was so faint that if they hadn't seen the lips of the past Iraki moving--or, in Kiru's case, seen no movement from the other--they might have thought it came from the real one. _"Without love?"_

Aros's eyes almost seemed to glow with desire at the thought. _"Yes. Without love."_

"Aros..." The real Iraki began to cry even as the one in the memory did.

_"I pity you."_

The glow in Aros's eyes changed to rage at that. _"Pity me!? Pity me for my dream of a painless life? A life where everything is at peace, where the universe is **perfect**?"_

The blond's words even managed to pull Kiru's attention from Iraki. "Aros..." he murmured as well, staring at the boy, his face a mixture of emotions.

"He's insane!" Iri cried, her own eyes still riveted on the scene. And the boy wasn't done.

_"Of course I want a universe without love! What does love ever bring except pain!? What do those you love ever do but betray you!? Love...love is the very **first** thing I want to see destroyed!!"_

"No..." Kiru's jaw dropped. "This...is what he believes?"

Iraki just choked on a sob, her eyes glued to the boy as well, but not in anticipation of what he would say next--she remembered all too vividly.

Aros got into his opponent's face with his last words, his eyes wet with the intensity of his feelings. _"And you...I want **your** pity least of all. You are the worst thing that **ever** happened to me!"_

The real Iraki let out a sob, even as the one in the memory stared at him for just a second before a flood of tears began to pour down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry..." Iraki herself murmured, "I'm sorry, Aros."

_"I'm sorry, Aros. I'm sorry that this happened to you because of me."_

"It didn't!" Kiru protested, putting a hand on Iraki's shoulder and looking at her desperately as she stared at her past self--and the pain in the eyes of the boy next to her.

The memory itself ended with that, Iraki's next words lost as sound faded out and the light brightened. Just like last time, the brightness only lasted for a moment, extinguishing the memory before it faded to let the three see each other.

Iraki was a mess of tears. Kiru still had his arm on her shoulder, but she was ignoring him completely, given over to sobs. Iri stood off to the side, arms crossed over her chest in annoyance, though worry was visible in her eyes as well.

_"Iraki."_

Iraki didn't even acknowledge the voice as it spoke, sobbing too much to care.

_"Do you worry that you hurt others more than you help them?"_

Kiru opened his mouth, but his cry was soundless. He could only watch as Iraki opened her own mouth, still sobbing, though he could no longer hear it.

But her answer was interrupted with a sudden cry of, "_Don't!_"

Everyone turned at the voice, looking all around them to try to find its source. _Sora?_ Kiru wondered, mouthing the question that he couldn't ask. _But how...?_

"Don't let your feelings trick you." Kiru blinked at the words that seemed to have been spoken in his own voice. Iri turned to him as well, raising an eyebrow. But he hadn't spoken, which meant...

"Don't lose sight of all the things you've done!" added a voice that was identical to Iraki's own. "You remember, don't you? We wouldn't all be here like this if it weren't for you."

_Kairi?_ The word wasn't spoken aloud, but Kiru could read it clearly on Iraki's lips. _Riku?_

As they all stared in shock, the silhouettes of three figures began to emerge from the light in front of them, the shadows slowly solidifying into actual people. Sora waved, opening his mouth to make some sort of comment, but he was interrupted by an insistent repetition from the chorus of voices.

_"Do you worry that you hurt others more than you help them?"_

Iraki's eyes widened, and she looked up in fear, as if her excitement at the new arrivals had been forgotten just like that.

"Whoa, Iraki! Didn't you hear us before? You can't just get scared by Voice! You'll keep yourself from really thinking about the question." Sora stopped beside Kiru and Iri, frowning as he watched Iraki. She still had tears streaming down her face.

_But_... Again, the girl's lips were easy to read. Riku moved up beside Sora. "You've made it this far without giving up. Why would you do it now?"

Iraki protested with something that was too complicated for them to make out from her lips, though when she began shaking her head, they all got the message clearly enough. She turned her face upwards, about to give her answer.

"You saved me, you know!" Sora cried. Iraki hesitated, looking back at him. "You protected my heart," he continued, "You fought Aros."

"And you faced him again," Kairi added, "Saving me."

"And if you think that's nothing..." Riku stepped up very close to Iraki now, looking deeply into her eyes as he spoke. She stared right back. "Then we've badly misjudged you. _I've _misjudged you."

Iraki's eyes widened at those words. Riku stepped back, throwing a glance at Kiru with an expression that was hard to read. Kiru looked back at him, but his expression said just as little. But everyone turned their focus to Iraki as the voice repeated its question one more time.

_"Do you worry that you hurt others more than you help them?"_

The first word from Iraki's lips was clear as day, freezing the hearts of all those around her. _"Yes."_ It wasn't all that she said, however. _"But..."_

The words that followed were lost in the impenetrable silence. The Keyblade Masters could do nothing but wait and hope that their gamble had paid off.

But Sora wasn't ready to leave it at that. As if his words still had the power to influence the outcome, the boy cried out, "We believe in you, Iraki!"

The voice ignored him. _"Is that true?"_ it asked. And, just as it had so many times before, light engulfed them all.

* * *

Aros's lips curved into a sneer as he came down the aisle that the Heartless had formed, his tennis shoes thudding with unnatural loudness against the floor due to the absolute silence of all those around him. For the moment, everyone else in the room seemed completely frozen with shock. Those who had met the boy couldn't believe their eyes, but even those who had only seen him from a distance before seemed to feel it, too. There was something _wrong_ with him. He was still dressed in oversized shoes and blue clothing that mirrored Sora's red, but it all looked muted, as if the colors had faded with age. The boy's hair, the same flat blond as ever, looked almost ashen, as if it too had been sapped of its vibrance. But what was the most disturbing of all was his skin. He had always been a pale boy, despite his sunny island upbringing, but now he wasn't so much pale as _shadowed_--as if the Heartless were casting their darkness over him like a sun would cast light. His skin held no color but the deep gray that seemed to cloud the air around him, making him look like no more than a ghost. "Why are you all staring?" he asked, "Are you not even going to _try_ to stop me?" Everyone gasped at the sound of his voice. Or, rather, his _two_ voices. 

"Ansem!" Mickey cried angrily, "What have you done to him?"

The boy stopped where he stood, just short of Leon. He sneered at the man, looking smug, before turning to the mouse king who was still across the room from him. "What have I _done_ to him? Why, nothing that he hasn't asked for."

Leon's sword came flying toward him without warning. Aros jumped with agility only a youth's body could possess, kicking Leon in the head and landing in front of him. He snapped his fingers as he went, and suddenly a group of Heartless standing to Leon's left all lunged at the man.

"Leon!" Yuffie and Yuna immediately came to his aid, even as Tidus bolted straight for Aros.

"Bastard!"

The blond man hadn't even gotten near when Aros snapped his fingers and Heartless literally tackled him.

"I suggest you all stay put," the dual voice said with a hint of sadistic amusement, "or some of you will die."

Mickey's hand tightened around the sword he wielded. "Everyone stop!" he ordered, his squeaky voice holding an authority that no one would argue with.

Aros smirked and snapped his fingers again, the Heartless immediately pulling back from the two men. "That's better. Now then." He continued his deliberate walk forward, leering at the mouse as he went. "You might want to step aside, _Your Majesty._"

Mickey held his ground. "What do you want, Ansem?"

Aros raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that name really applies in this case, do you?" He smirked.

The mouse's eyes gleamed like flint. "I won't hesitate."

At that, the boy threw his head back and laughed. "'Won't hesitate'? Oh, that's a good one. You'd kill the boy, would you? That easily?"

Mickey stood tensed as Aros continued to approach. Below him, the mouse's allies also began to advance in the open avenue left in Aros's wake, coming up behind the boy.

Aros either didn't notice them or considered them unimportant, instead single-mindedly continuing his advance on the king. "Can you kill him?" he asked, his eyes positively dancing as he grinned wildly.

The mouse gritted his teeth. "Light!"

Aros barely had time for his eyes to widen before the spell crashed into him, sending him sprawling backwards right in front of the eight who were gathering behind him. Auron stepped on one of his arms to keep him down. "There's a lot one can do between letting you pass and killing you. You should remember that."

Aros scowled, lifting his other hand to snap it, but Cloud quickly put a boot on those fingers. "Just because you're in his body doesn't mean you can do what you want."

At that, the boy began to laugh. The sound was shrill, almost giddy. "Fools!" he cried, not even struggling against them, "Even now, you all know _nothing_!"

There was no snap, but apparently none was needed. The Heartless jumped right into action, some dashing across the floor as others slid under it. However they got there, they all came up behind the eight--going after Auron and Cloud specifically.

"LIGHT!" Mickey cried immediately, a note of desperation in his voice as he poured as much power into the spell as he could. Waves of black surrounded the others, coming at them from all sides. Though his spell destroyed a large chunk of the shadows, they were replaced almost instantaneously. The sounds of fighting came from within the mountain of darkness, but Mickey could no longer see anything. "Light! _Light!_"

"You're wasting your energy."

Mickey barely had time to bring up his sword to block the thrust from the Black Keyblade. Aros pressed against him, the youth's small frame hiding a great amount of strength. But the mouse was not the king of the Sovereign's Palace for nothing. Aros was forced to jump back as Mickey broke through his strike. The youth immediately came forward again, but the mouse was there to meet him blow for blow, the two weapons clanging as they met time and time again.

Aros laughed as he fought. "You're afraid to hurt the boy!" he cried, eyes twinkling as Mickey blocked another thrust of the Keyblade. "The great King Mickey is _afraid_!"

Mickey frowned, not roused by the taunting so much as hurt by the reality of his situation, but a steely look came into his eyes. Jumping into the air, he flipped over the boy, aiming to come down behind him. Aros quickly spun, thrusting out the Keyblade to catch the king when he landed, but the mouse had expected such a move. He twisted in the air and grabbed the Black Keyblade with one hand, using it as leverage to vault to the left of Aros, kicking him full in the side with both feet as he went.

The king just barely let go of the Keyblade in time to catch his balance and land on his feet, knees bent. He straightened and rushed forward. Aros hadn't flown far; he had only collided with some of the shadows that the others were still fighting. The creatures seemed to take most of the impact, and the boy was on his feet again, bringing up the Keyblade to protect himself as best as he could from the light spell that Mickey fired at him. He struck back with a thunder spell even as the king thrust his sword at him. The mouse took the hit; the boy blocked the sword with his Keyblade, and the two found themselves in much the same position as before--except Aros was no longer laughing.

"I will not be taken so lightly!" the youth declared in the dual voice that made his current identity all too clear.

"Neither will I." This time the mouse sidestepped, holding his sword down low and thrusting it up at the youth from the inside. Aros brought the Black Keyblade down on top of the king's weapon, forcing it right to the ground. Mickey, however, just let go of the sword and used the subsequent moment of surprise to bring both feet up and kick Aros in the face, sending the boy sprawling flat on his back.

Aros hurried to his feet again, but Mickey was already there, coming at him with a sword thrust that he rushed to block. Unfortunately for him, this meant that he hadn't noticed the light spell the king was charging. Yet again Aros was blasted back.

This time Mickey didn't have to hurry over to the boy. Aros's nose was bleeding from the hit to his face, and his arms shook as he started to pull himself back up. Mickey held his sword to his throat to convince him that he should stay down instead.

"Did you forget the Heartless?" the youth spat, a deranged grin still lighting up his features.

Solemnly, the king shook his head. "No. But if I hit you again, they'll forget _you_."

Yet again Aros began to laugh. "You hesitate!" he accused, grinning even through the blood from his nose that was seeping onto his teeth. "I could call them now, and they would stop you before you could deliver that blow!"

Mickey shook his head again. "I wouldn't be stopped." He smiled, just faintly. "After all, I'm not the only one fighting here. You don't have half as many Heartless as when we started." And he gestured with his free hand to what had been a mound of black but was now just a small grouping, the eight warriors visible within them. Exhaustion was apparent in each of their faces, but they hadn't stopped fighting. Mickey smiled a little wanly. "Light!" he cried, and even more of the shadows were gone.

Aros let out a scream of rage.

The king just shook his head at him. "You're pinned, Ansem. Leave the boy."

Aros scowled at him, his expression feral. "Never."

"Then we aren't moving from this spot."

The mouth of bared teeth moved into a grin again as an idea seemed to come to the blond. "Oh, we are."

Mickey felt his calm shake just a tiny bit, unease prickling inside him. Something was changing. "What are you up to now?"

Aros laughed. "Just calling the second wave."

Mickey's eyes widened. The feeling inside him became clear even as Aros spoke. Heartless were coming--as many as had been in the room before, if not more. The mouse king gritted his teeth and brought the sword closer to the boy's neck. "Call them off!"

Aros's grin widened, showing off his bloodstained teeth. "You'll have to kill the boy first."

The mouse stared. "Call them _off_!" he repeated, "This is your last warning!"

"Oh?" Aros countered, his smile fading to determination as he adopted the calm that, a moment ago, had belonged to the mouse. "Will you really do it, then? Will you bring about his destruction?"

Mickey's face was tense, strained, but he spoke his next words with the down-to-earth sincerity that had always been his trademark. "Yes."

Yet again, Aros responded with a laugh. "Then do it!"

The mouse, eyes burning even at the thought of the deed that he was about to commit, pulled back his sword to strike.

* * *

_Is this...the end?_

"And what is this body doing for me now?"

_But I thought we had a deal! Weren't we working together?_

"When it was convenient. What, did you think I actually _cared_ about what you wanted?"

_Stop laughing._

"Stupid boy."

_Stop laughing!_

"I enjoyed it when I had use for you, Aros. But that time has passed. Farewell."

_Stop--what!? But you're going to die, too! We're both here together._

"Together? For the moment. But I haven't always been here. Were you really so naive as to think that I could never leave?"

_No..._

"Farewell!"

_NO!!!!!!_


	55. The Gatekeepers

Another chapter at last! I have promised not to give up on this fic, and I still don't plan to. Special thanks to Ariana Aislinn for her beta help! And thank you to all of you for your continued support.

* * *

**Reverse Side of Darkness**  
**By: Koorino Megumi**

**Chapter 55: The Gatekeepers**

_"Guess what, guess what, Old Mister!"_

The six Keyblade Masters listened hard as the new scene began, as always, with sound alone. This particular voice was clearly that of a young girl's, but even as they concentrated on it, none of the members of the group was able to recognize it--save one.

_"Haven't I asked you not to call me that anymore, Iri?"_

Several of the Keyblade Masters couldn't help their surprise at the revelation of the girl's identity, although they supposed that they should have been expecting it by now. And this second voice, in contrast to the young Iri's, was unmistakable. Despite the number of years that must have passed since this memory, the scientist sounded exactly the same as ever.

_"My name is Mister Ansem, remember? And whatever you might think, I'm nowhere near old yet..."_

The light began to fade as the man spoke, bringing the scene slowly into focus. Everyone easily recognized the room as one that they had been in just a little earlier that same day, although it felt like it had been a long time indeed since then. Ansem's laboratory apparently hadn't changed much over the years. It was a room filled with metal surfaces, concrete floors, plain walls, machines, and desks strewn with papers. In this memory, Ansem himself was in the middle of it all, crouching on the floor at the foot of a large metal contraption. He was wearing long white gloves that went halfway up his arms, but both of his hands were lost within the workings of a machine that, after a moment, they were also all able to recognize--the machine that Ansem would later use to project an image of himself to other worlds.

A small, dark-haired girl was standing just behind him. Even though the man was sitting on the ground, the top of her head only came halfway up his back. _"But you're so big, and you have funny hair!"_ she declared, reaching out a hand to twirl some of said golden hair around her finger.

_"Iri_." The exasperation was clear in the man's voice, but he seemed unable to untangle himself from the machinery in order to deal with the girl properly.

_"Well, you do."_ The girl pouted, but then she seemed to remember what she had come for and brightened up. _"But guess what!"_

_"Not now, please, Iri. Can't you see that Mister Ansem is busy?"_

Iri pouted more resolutely than ever now, her bottom lip protruding in a manner clearly intended to manipulate the soft-hearted. _"But I did something really amazing!"_

_"I'm sure you did, Iri." _Ansem replied, not even looking back at her masterful puppy dog face. His eyes were completely riveted on the machinery. _"And I would love to hear all about it later, but right now-"_

He was cut off by a sudden whir from the machine. The previously-dormant contraption began to shake and clatter with the sounds of moving parts inside, and several dials and levers started to glow and flash in at least four different colors.

_"Old Mister!"_ Iri cried in alarm. _"Your hands!"_

It was clear from her expression that she thought some sort of monster had just come to life--with the scientist's hands buried in its mouth. But Ansem just laughed, withdrawing his hands to throw them around Iri in a hug, heedless of the odd, oily, green goo that covered the gloves. _"I've done it!" _he declared. _"Do you see that, Iri?" _He gestured at the glowing, whirring contraption. _"I've done it! It works! It works, it works, it works!!"_ He let go of the girl, standing up and dancing rather awkwardly around the room--until he tripped over his lab coat and wound up flat on the floor, laughing even while holding his head from the pain of its sudden meeting with the concrete. _"It works!"_

For a moment, Iri just watched him, very confused by his behavior, before she finally turned her attention to the glowing machine. She reached out a hand toward a button that was bright red. _"But what is it? What does it do?"_

_"Iri, NO!" _Ansem screamed, surging back to his feet and yanking her hand away. He looked as surprised as she did at his unexpected roughness. _"I'm sorry," _he apologized, _"But this is not for you to use. Iraki needs to be the one to use it, and I can't risk you touching anything and causing an accident that would jeopardize that."_

Iri scowled at those words, snatching her hand back from the man. _"But why not me?" _she protested, _"Old Mister, today I learned how to-"_

_"Now, no buts, Iri," _Ansem interrupted, _"You've always known that this is how it has to be. So, be a good girl and fetch Iraki for me, would you? I need to run some tests."_

_"But I learned-"_

_"Later, Iri. All right? I'll listen to you as long as you want later. But right now, I need to see Iraki. Understand?"_

As Iri's expression hardened in anger and she turned to hurry away, the light brightened to overtake the scene, eventually fading to show the six Keyblade Masters to each other. All of them were looking at Iri with a mixture of sad and regretful expressions.

_"Iri," _came the voice of voices before any of them could speak. _"Are you jealous of Iraki?"_

Iri herself was standing stiffly, her hands fisted at her sides and her own expression a mask. She scowled before opening her mouth to give an answer that none of the others could hear or even interpret from her lips.

_"Is that true?"_

Iri nodded.

"Iri," Sora started, but she cut him off with another scowl.

"I don't even want to hear it, least of all from _you_," she stated, looking Sora in the eye as she spoke. "My past is my business. That's all."

"But what you've just said is our business," Riku broke in.

She whirled on him. "Oh, shut up! As if it'll affect the rest of you if I fail. You don't need me for the door anyway. You've already got two White Keyblade Masters!"

"Don't say that, Iri," Iraki pleaded softly.

Iri gave her a cold stare and said nothing. Iraki looked down.

"You guys, this is really no time to fight," Kiru started. "We need-"

But his words cut off abruptly even as his mouth continued to move--the silence had returned. Everyone looked up together, wondering what the voice would say now.

And, as expected, it returned. _"Kiru...Iraki...Iri... You have all passed. But the path is not yet open. You must complete the last part of your deal before you may continue your path."_

Everyone looked at each other in confusion at that.

"Uh...congrats!" Sora exclaimed to the three, blinking in slight surprise when he realized that sound was back. "But I guess-"

"But _what_?" Iri demanded, obviously in a very bad mood after her trial. "What deal!?"

Sora scratched his head. "Well, in order to come help you guys, we sort of had to agree to...uh...what exactly was it that Voice said? We have to watch..."

"We have to watch the Gatekeeper of light go through," Riku finished, his expression a bit grim.

"But who is that?" Iri asked. "Who else would have to do this?"

"Well..." Kairi spoke up uncertainly. "We thought the Gatekeeper of darkness was probably Ansem, right? Since he's with Aros--the 'final key.' So the Gatekeeper of light must be..."

But she was cut off by the light flaring up again, hiding them all from each other's view for a moment before the first words of the last trial of the Path of Cleansing reached their ears.

* * *

"HE WON'T DIE!!!" 

Mickey hesitated at the scream, his blade just short of Aros's chest. "Aros?"

The desperation in the boy's eyes was clearly visible as he stared up at the mouse, shaking with effort, as if just looking at him were taking all the energy he had. "I will...he won't..." he stuttered, cringing and flailing in pain as he spoke. "My _head_...make him...get rid of..._ahhhh!!!_"

The desperation in the boy's eyes disappeared as suddenly as it had come, and a smirk formed on his face. "He's telling the truth," Ansem taunted from Aros's lips, the boy's voice dual once again. "This body might die, but that won't stop me any more than it did the last time. I'm sure that I can find another host easily. Perhaps Riku can be persuaded again--for the sake of his friends, of course. Or that Iraki seemed quite ready to give in to the darkness, don't you think? Which would you prefer I take, if you're going to strip me of this body?"

Mickey's eyes widened as he listened to the man's words, the point of his sword still hovering just short of Aros's chest. "You lie," he ground between his teeth.

Ansem smirked. "Would you like to test that theory? I always thought you shrunk back from that sort of science."

The mouse king let out a frustrated cry, and Ansem brought up one arm as Mickey watched in anger, unable to force him to stop. Aros's hand grabbed the blade of the sword, but surprisingly, he didn't move it from pointing at his heart.

"Let go of the sword, _Your Majesty_," the man ordered, his voice dripping with disdain.

"You aren't getting away!" the king cried resolutely.

Ansem raised an eyebrow. "I always liked a good experiment," he said, almost conversationally. The mouse tensed. "So how about this? If you don't kill the boy or let go of the sword, I will kill him for you."

Mickey yanked on the sword before the man had even stopped speaking, trying to pull it away, but Aros's body began to glow with black energy, Ansem using the darkness to boost his strength so that he could keep the sword firmly in place.

"Which?" he asked, smirking again. "Which will you choose? I hope you remember that, either way, I escape. The only question is, what vessel will I have when I destroy the door to the light?"

The mouse couldn't speak. He continued pulling on the sword with all his strength, but to no avail. He turned desperately, hoping to find that the others had finished the Heartless by now, but the new wave was already upon them. No one would help him.

"No answer? Then let this be your decision." And Ansem pulled the sword forward.

* * *

_"You will be important, one day."_

When the six children heard the voice of many voices, they assumed that it was addressing them. But wasn't that a strange thing to say? Here they were, knowing that they were all keys and on the path to open the door to the light, and it was telling them that one day they would be important?

_"That's why I'm here. That's why I've done all this. Are you telling me...I've succeeded?"_

The familiar voice of the blond scientist caught them by surprise as well--especially when it was followed by words spoken in his same voice, but coming from right next to them instead of distantly, as the first voice had.

"Oh dear...what is this?"

Everyone waited in anticipation for the light to fade and the scene to come into focus. When it did begin to dim, it was only slightly, as if whatever was controlling this world were taunting them. Silhouettes became visible, very slowly transforming themselves into six Keyblade Masters and one very tall scientist.

Ansem looked just the same as when they'd last seen him—which was not what they were expecting, assuming this was yet another memory. He was the same height, with the same hair, and even wearing the same outfit. In fact, he still looked a bit tattered and scratched. The strangest observation of all, however, was that he was looking right at the six Keyblade Masters.

"Why are you here?" he asked, blinking at them, "Shouldn't you be ahead by now?"

Everyone was too busy staring to react right away.

"Ansem?" Kiru was the first to find his voice. "You're real!"

Ansem frowned at him. "Well, of course I am. As real as all of you." Then he smiled as if in understanding. "Ah, you did not think I would follow, did you? You thought my part was over! So did I, for a bit, but as it turns out, there's something more that I'm supposed to..."

He trailed off when another voice--many voices, all speaking in unison--interrupted him.

_"You still understand nothing. You are the Gatekeeper. That is fate. And you are here because it is time for the choices."_

Ansem's voice--not the real Ansem's, but instead the distant voice that they were now able to identify as being the unseen Ansem from this odd memory--sounded very confused. _"The choices?"_ The lips of the scientist before them did not move, confirming their suspicions that he was real while the one who was speaking was not.

"Is this your memory, Ansem?" Iri asked. "Is that what we're hearing?"

The real Ansem blinked at her. "A memory? Oh, why...it could be!" he affirmed. "Is that what the Path of Cleansing is? A purging of some sort of memory? I thought it would be a test of some kind, but-"

_"The choices," _interrupted the voice made up of many, still speaking in the memory. _"A Gatekeeper always has influence over his keys. But you are but one Gatekeeper of two. Any influence that you claim will also belong to your rival."_

There was a brief silence as the six all looked expectantly at the scientist for an explanation.

"It is a memory, isn't it?" Iraki asked.

"What was that about influence?" Kairi said at the same time.

Although Ansem winced, he did not have a chance to respond before the Ansem that was just a voice echoed her question.

_"What do you mean...'influence?'"_

_"One choice," _the many-toned voice responded immediately. _"One choice for each type of key. Three choices in total. And three for the other Gatekeeper. You can shape the keys with a word each."_

_"A...word?"_

The real scientist was beginning to look very agitated at this point. "Well, I think that's about enough of my memory!" he cried. "We should be looking for a way out, don't you think? You all have a door to the light to find, so-"

"Shh!" Iri eyed him. "Don't you get it? This memory _is_ the Path of Cleansing. We couldn't get out before it ends even if we wanted to. Which we don't."

Ansem cringed, his expression a bit desperate. "But this is so misleading! If you knew what really happened-"

"Shh!" Iri repeated even as the many-layered voice in the memory began to speak again.

_"A word. You can choose what one side will have and the other will lack. And the other Gatekeeper will do the same. Will the silver key of light be strong and the silver key of darkness be weak? Will the white key of light be smart and that of darkness dull? Three choices for you. Three choices for your opposite. Six words in total."_

_"But...but I don't understand," _Ansem's voice protested_, "You say three, but there are four keys. There have always been four keys."_

"When did this happen?" Riku asked softly, afraid to miss a word but needing an answer. "How long ago did you find all of this out?"

For his part, the real Ansem was beginning to look rather pale--even for him. "Long ago," he replied, waving a hand cryptically. "Before any of you were born."

"So did you actually go through with it?" Iri demanded, eyeing him severely. "Did you _control_ us with these...words?"

The others' eyes widened.

"You mean..." Sora started.

"What? You don't get what they're saying?" Iri asked. "They're making a deal for influence--over _us_!" She tried to step through the nothingness toward Ansem, but her feet would not go forward. Scowling, she demanded again, "So did you?"

"I..."

_"There are only three different keys," _stated the voice of voices. _"The universe is so wrong now...nothing is as it should be. The black and the silver are but one key--two people instead of four. You have three choices. Will you make these choices and allow the other Gatekeeper to make three in return?"_

_"And if I don't?"_

"Tell me you didn't," Iri pressed.

_"The light is sealed. The darkness will soon be open. This choice is yours and yours alone. If you do not wish to make the choices, then the other Gatekeeper will make no choice. So, will you make your three choices?"_

"You old fool, tell me you _didn't_!" Iri cried, reaching for Ansem though she was unable to move any closer to him.

The real scientist would not meet any of their eyes. He turned away, looking out into the light that was their only surroundings. "I am sorry...all of you," he murmured, very softly.

Only half of them heard it. At the same moment, an identical voice said, _"I will choose."_

The light flared up with those words, hiding them from each other's sight now. And, as everyone but the scientist himself expected, the voice spoke to the real Ansem this time.

_"Ansem, was it right for you to make those choices?"_

The light faded again, enough for the group to see each other--and the horrified look on the tall man's face. He shook his head and then opened his mouth to respond with words that they could not hear.

_"Is that true?"_

He nodded, and the light engulfed them all again.

* * *

"You can't." 

The words were quiet but harsh, full of determination. And most importantly, spoken in Aros's voice alone.

Mickey stumbled, falling back to a sitting position with his sword in his hand, as all the force that had been pulling on it was suddenly gone.

For a moment, the mouse had no idea what had happened. Even looking at the boy, he couldn't explain it. Aros had let go of the king's sword, but the Black Keyblade was back. And it was now _protruding from the boy's stomach_.

"Aros!"

The blond turned, very slowly, at the mouse's cry. His hand was still gripping the hilt of his weapon, holding it inside of him. His face was strained with pain, but there was a smile on his lips.

"I figured it out," he stated, his tone blank, almost distant. He winced against the pain. "Now I know why he couldn't beat you. Why he left me in control all this time. It's so obvious."

Mickey stared at Aros's face, lit with a half-smile and an expression split between pain and wonder. The mouse pulled himself up, sword still in his hand, and moved to the youth's side. "Aros..." He hesitated, not sure what even to ask. "What...are you _doing_?"

Aros's smile widened, though there was still pain behind it. "I'm keeping him inside." He laughed, but the sound cut off almost immediately, the youth wincing and putting a hand to his head. "He's stuck in there," Aros continued in a voice that was growing as strained as his expression. "Because I figured it out. He can't use the Keyblade."

Mickey's eyes widened. "But what does that-"

Aros laughed again, just for a second--enough to cut the mouse off. "Right now, this Keyblade _would_ steal my heart, but I can stop it from doing that. He can't." His smile grew a little ironic. "Sora could've stopped the Black Keyblade, too, but he never thought that he could control it. He spent all his strength fighting against it instead, and he lost his heart! I guess Ansem was right about one thing--if you don't know, you'll never understand. But I do. And he can't stop me."

The king opened his mouth to speak, his heart twisting at the sight he was now witnessing. But before he could even get a word out, the boy surged to his feet, yanking the Keyblade out of his gut in one swift move.

In that moment, Mickey the king of Sovereign's Palace was glad that he was himself and not his opposite. In the back of his mind, he had been wondering if the boy--or Ansem--would try something tricky, though he hadn't known what. And so when Aros made his move, he was ready and did the only thing he could do--struck out with his sword to try to stop him.

The Black Keyblade mostly blocked the hit, but Aros had needed to move too quickly, and the angle of the block was all wrong. As a result, the tip of the king's sword plunged into the boy's shoulder. The youth cried out in pain, but he also took a swing with the Black Keyblade. The mouse had to drop his sword to avoid the strike; he couldn't block as long as his weapon was still caught in Aros's shoulder. As Mickey moved to grab his sword again, Aros took the tip of it in his bare hand, forcing the weapon out and immediately taking off at a run toward the very front of the hall.

Mickey followed him, firing a light spell to slow him down. Aros stumbled, but the mouse's efforts were to no avail. Even as the king got a hand on his leg, the boy was tumbling into the portal. And, just like that, he was gone, leaving the mouse staring after him, a bloody sword on the ground behind him and an army of Heartless creeping up on him.


End file.
